Hand In Hand
by LoeyLoLo
Summary: So, Pretty Little Liars is over and I personally don't think we got nearly enough Emison so I decided to write a few one shots both before and after the 1 year time jump. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them! Side Note: Rated M for possible Mature scenes in upcoming chapters. I will put a warning at the start of any NSFW chapters.
1. And Twins Make Four

**_When Emily and Alison find out they are having twins, Emily goes straight to panic._**

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Emily woke up unusually early, golden hair splayed on the pillow beside her. She loved waking up to the site of Alison every day, the other girl looked so incredibly beautiful in the mornings and Emily sometimes had to pinch herself to remind to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She couldn't stop the smile from creeping upon her face as she watched her girlfriend sleep. The blonde, so peaceful and serene, something that was a complete contrast to Alison when she was awake, especially lately with her hormones being all out of whack. If High School Ali was a bitch, she was nothing compared to Pregnant Ali, but Emily couldn't help but find it amusing every time Ali spat out a snarky comment to someone or that one time she cussed out the barista at The Brew for getting Emily's coffee order wrong. Yet, as bitchy as Ali would get, the sound of Emily's voice instantly melted the blonde, it was the only thing that could stop the other woman in her tracks as she spouted off venomous insults at whichever poor, unfortunate soul had crossed the wrong side of her that day.

Emily propped herself up onto her elbow, looking over Alison adoringly. She knew it was creepy but she loved mornings like this where she would wake early and just take a few minutes to watch the blonde sleep. It was the only time that the blonde didn't seem plagued with morning sickness, which Ali had dubbed 'all-the-time-sickness' since she pretty much had it morning, noon and night at the moment. All the books had said that after the 1st trimester, the nausea should ease, but Ali was well into her 2nd trimester now, and she was still as bad, if not worse, than she was at the start of the pregnancy. Some days Alison found that she could eat fine with barely any sickness, other days Emily struggled to even get her to keep water down. Emily hoped that it would ease soon, as she hated seeing the love of her life so ill, knowing she couldn't do anything to make it better. Still, as much as it sucked to see Alison so poorly, the sight of the ever-growing bump that housed their baby made Emily's heart warm to the very core. She loved pregnant Ali, it was becoming like a drug to her and part of Emily knew that she would be a little bit disappointed to see that glow disappear once the baby was here, even if that did mean that they would finally get to hold their little miraculous, even if unexpected, bundle of joy.

'You're staring again' came Alison's sleepy voice, and Emily could see the smile creeping onto the blonde's face. Alison rolled onto her back and looked up into Emily's brown eyes, feeling all the love in the universe flood from them and straight into her. She loved the way Emily made her feel, like she wanted to be someone worthy of all that love that radiated from the brunette. She wanted to be someone Emily was proud of, and it was the love of the other woman that kept her on the path to being a good person.  
'I'm sorry' Emily half whispered, not wanting to break the calmness that was in the air. 'You just look so beautiful when you sleep' she added, softly placing her hand on Alison's swollen tummy. Alison smiled, a smile that reached from ear to ear and lit up those blue, ocean coloured eyes that Emily couldn't help but get sucked into. Emily leaned down to place a soft, sweet kiss to Alison's lips. It was something she would never get tired of doing.

'So, are you all excited for our appointment? Is that why you're awake so early?' Alison asked as they separated, already knowing that it was the precise reason Emily was awake. Today was the day that they got to see their baby again, and hopefully find out the gender of their child, and Emily had been jumping around like a kid at Christmas all week.

Emily had been great throughout the entire pregnancy, right from the start when Alison found out she was pregnant, Emily had vowed to be there even though they weren't even close to being in a relationship at that point. Emily had been there at the first Doctor's appointment and the first scan. Even when Alison set the date for an abortion, Emily had said she would go with her. Then when Alison found out about the baby being Emily's, she was terrified of telling the other girl, scared that she would run, but despite how angry and hurt she was, Emily never blamed Alison and stuck by her. She even begged Alison to keep the baby, though Alison knew in her heart she could never abort a baby that came from Emily. This was the baby of the woman she had loved almost her entire life; there was no way she could go through with the abortion. Sure, things had been complicated, but ultimately this baby brought them together, and now here they were, about to become their own, little family.  
'Honestly Ali, I am so excited. I can't wait to see our little baby growing in there' Emily replied, practically bouncing on the bed as she spoke.  
'You're so fucking cute, you know that?' Ali replied, as her smile got impossibly wider. 'I love you'  
'I love you too' Emily replied, her smile matching Alison's. She leaned down to kiss Alison again, but this time Alison tangled her fingers into Emily's flowing, brunette locks, anchoring her in place. She deepened the kiss, and Emily knew exactly where this was going. This was the other thing that she loved about pregnant Ali, she was constantly turned on.

'Em, stop tapping your foot, it's making me nervous' Ali said firmly, holding Emily's knee to still it. She knew that Emily was excited, but her constant fidgeting was making Ali nauseous and not helping her nerves. She hadn't told Emily, but she was terrified of this scan, scared that it might show something was wrong with the baby. This baby was what had brought her and Emily together and Alison was scared that if anything happened to the baby, then Emily might just leave her.  
'Sorry' Emily replied, stilling her movements. 'Hey, what's wrong?' she asked, seeing the panic and fear in Alison's eyes. Emily could read her better than anyone, and she knew that something was bugging the other woman, but she also knew that if Alison didn't want to talk then she wouldn't. Alison marched to the beat of her own drum, she always had, and Emily knew that she would talk when she was ready, so she wasn't the least bit surprised when Alison replied.  
'I'm fine, I just want them to hurry the hell up already and scan this baby' she growled, throwing in a death stare to the nurse at the counter for good measure.

'Alison DiLaurentis' called a friendly voice from beside them. Judging by Ali's mood and the perkiness of the nurse, Emily had a feeling that she knew how this would go down, and if she was right, she was in for a spectacular Alison smackdown. Emily gripped Alison's hand encouragingly as they rose from their seats and made their way to the room. She could feel Alison gripping her had tightly, which Emily knew meant only one thing. Alison was scared. She found herself automatically placing a comforting hand on the small of Alison's back as they walked into the room, only separating to sit in the chairs placed by the desk. Emily smiled when Alison grabbed her hand back, placing it on her thigh and holding it there for comfort.

'Good Morning ladies, so I believe that you're here for your 20 week scan, is that correct?' The nurse asked, her shrill, bubbly voice irritating Alison even more. Emily could sense this, and decided that maybe it was best that Alison keep quiet.  
'Yes' she answered for the blonde, 'Ali's just over 20 weeks now. We had a scan booked for last week but Ali wasn't feeling too great so we rearranged' Emily explained, unable to keep the smile from her face even if she tried. As much as she was trying to stop Alison from ripping this poor nurse a new one, she couldn't help but be excited about seeing their baby.  
'Ok then!' the nurse replied in a manner that was so over excited, it made Alison roll her eyes and scoff, which in turn caused Emily to grip her thigh as a warning to behave herself. 'Let's see if we can see this little one then, shall we?' the nurse continued, blissfully unaware of the silent exchange between the two girls in front of her. 'Alison, if you'd like to pop yourself up on this bed right here and lift your top, we'll have a little look inside that belly of yours and see if we can get a good look at that baby in there!'  
Alison took a deep breath and gritted her teeth, trying so hard to stop herself from telling the nurse that if she didn't stop with the over the top, whiney, baby voice, she'd take the Ultrasound scanner right from her hand and shove it up her-  
'That sounds great, right Ali?' Emily spoke up, squeezing Alison's thigh again to get her to say something and atleast acknowledge the nurse in front of her. Alison looked at the nurse, her eyes bugging so much with excitement, she reminded Alison of one of those lame Japanese cartoons that Jason used to watch when they were younger. She wanted so badly to cuss the nurse out, she could feel it bubbling up inside of her, but one look at Emily and those chocolate orbs that were silently pleading her to be nice, culled the fire inside of the blonde in an instant.  
'Yeah. Yeah that sounds good' Alison managed to say, still letting herself get lost in Emily's eyes. She saw the pleading turn to delight the second she replied and this only helped to push away the hostility Alison had been feeling toward the nurse.

Emily rose with Alison and guided her to the bed, watching as the blonde laid herself down and pulled her top up over her protruding bump. Emily took a seat beside the bed, holding Alison's hand between both of her own. Alison could feel her heart pounding out of her chest as the nurse pulled on her gloves and grabbed a bottle of gel.  
'Ok, so this will be a little cold, which could make baby jump, but it's nothing to worry about' the nurse said, her sing song voice no longer an issue for Alison. Now she was faced with the reality that she was about to see her baby and the fear from before rising rapidly. Alison was beginning to feel as though she couldn't breathe, she was so focused on trying to calm herself that she didn't even feel the cool gel hit her stomach. She gripped Emily's hand so tight, her knuckles began to turn white. Emily felt the squeeze of Alison's hand and looked at her girlfriend concerned. She could see that same fear and panic in her face, and Emily couldn't help but be worried about the other woman. She wanted to hold Alison, comfort her and calm her but before she could say anything the nurse said something that broke both girl's out of their mild panic attacks, and caused a whole other panic to fall over them. They both snapped their attention to the monitor in front of them.

'What did you say?' Emily asked in shock, wanting to make sure she had heard correctly. She felt a cold sweat forming on her brow as the nurse repeated herself.  
'It seems as though you've been blessed twice! Miss DiLaurentis, Miss Fields, congratulations. You're expecting twins!' the nurse stated calmly, yet still with far too much excitement for either of the girls to handle.  
'Twins?' Emily replied monotonously as the word seemed to circle around her head. She had just gotten her head around them having one baby and now they were about to become mothers of two. She began to crunch figures in her head, trying to figure out how they would financially manage two newborns. That was twice the amount of diapers, two cribs, two strollers, two car seats. Double of everything...and half the amount of sleep. As Emily tried to get things straight in her mind, she heard Alison let out a sob.

'Hey, it's ok. We'll figure this out, ok?' Emily said, pulling Alison into a tight hug. Suddenly, Alison went from sobbing to laughing hysterically, which made Emily go from panicking to downright confused.  
'You should see your face' Alison managed to laugh out, which just confused Emily even more. Wasn't Alison worried about this? Why did Alison find this funny!? When Alison realised that Emily wasn't laughing with her and still had that scared, worried look on her face, she calmed herself.  
'Sorry, could we have a moment?' she asked the nurse politely. She needed to talk to her girlfriend, they needed to talk this through. They hadn't planned for two babies. The nurse nodded silently and left the room, knowing that the two ladies in front of her had just received a huge shock which would take some time for them to process. As the nurse left the room, Emily felt herself let out a deep, long breath.

'Ali…..twins?' was all Emily could manage to say. Alison couldn't help but smile at Emily's face, still so conflicted and worried.  
'Em' Alison started to say, as she gently brushed Emily's hair behind her ear, something she knew would calm her girlfriend. 'Before we came in here, I was so scared. Scared that something had happened to our baby and that you would leave me because of it' Alison explained. Emily went to protest, but Alison cut her off. 'I was so scared. So to me, yes two babies is a huge shock and will be a huge change to our plans, but we have two healthy, beautiful babies, who are both a part of you. Look at everything we've been through to get here. We've literally been to hell and back, and if we can handle everything we've been through, I'm sure we can handle two little babies' Alison finished, smiling at her beautiful mermaid. Emily couldn't stop the happy tears from forming in her eyes.  
'We're having twins' she whispered through the tears, a smile finally forming on her face as the worry disappeared. Alison nodded, her own tears forming as she smiled back. 'I love you so, so much' Emily choked through the tears, before leaning forward to place a long, hard kiss on Alison's lips.  
'I love you too, Em' Alison replied.  
'How hard could two babies be, anyway?' Emily joked, the shock finally wearing off.

 **6 Months Later**

Emily jumped when she heard a cry, practically falling out of the bed. You'd think she'd be used to this by now, yet every time she was woken in the night by a crying baby, it felt like the first time all over again. The only difference was that after only six week of crying babies, the joy was fading fast and Emily's patience was wearing thin. She hauled herself up with a groan, feeling Ali sit up beside her.  
'It's ok, I got it' Emily whispered to her, 'You get some sleep' she added, giving Alison a quick peck on the lips before leaving the room. Alison laid herself back down without argument, the more sleep she got the better. They had tried breastfeeding, but it had been too hard on Alison to do all the night feeds, so they had decided that Alison should express her milk, that way they both got to share the load.

Emily sleepily made her way to the nursery and found the crying baby, red cheeked and screaming bloody murder. Despite her lack of sleep, she couldn't help but melt whenever she looked at one of their gorgeous babies.  
'Hey Lily, it's ok' she soothed, lifting the tiny baby from the crib. She rocked the baby as she left the nursery, bouncing Lily gently against her body as they made their way to the kitchen. Emily took the bottle from the refrigerator and placed it in the bottle warmer as she began to sing to the baby in her arms, who was still screaming the house down.  
'Ok, it's ok' Emily continued to coo, hoping that she could soothe her daughter. Emily had learned quickly to juggle screaming babies and bottles very quickly, and surprisingly with minor injuries. She had almost dropped Grace on her head when the twins were a little over a week old and Emily wasn't yet used to the sleep deprivation the way she was now. That incident had scared her enough to whip herself into shape. She found herself balancing all sorts of objects in her arms; Alison had thought that the lack of sleep was slowly driving her girlfriend crazy.

Once she had tested the bottle temperature, Emily made her way to the couch and settled in with Lily. The baby instantly soothed as soon at the bottle was placed to her tiny mouth, letting out a tiny sigh of satisfaction as she began to drink the warm milk. As Emily looked down at her tiny daughter in her arm, she realised that it was these times, late at night in a silent house, that she loved the most. She loved snuggling up with one of her daughters doing the night feed, and while she was in those moments, the lack of sleep felt like a distant memory.

Lily had been asleep for a few minutes now, but Emily knew better than to take the bottle away. She left the baby suckle the last few drops from the bottle before taking it from her mouth. Once she had successfully burped Lily, she made the short trip upstairs to place her back in her crib. This was the part Emily hated; it was like trying to place down a ticking time bomb that could go off at any moment. One wrong move and it was game over. She gently placed Lily back in the crib and backed slowly out of the room, silently celebrating in her head for getting the baby down without waking her again. She entered the room that she and Alison shared and smiled when she heard the faint snores of Alison from the bed, the blonde practically face down in the pillow and lying on her front. She had been lying this way a lot since she had given birth, she had said to Emily that it felt nice being able to lay on her stomach again without having a beach ball in the way.

Emily silently made her way across the bedroom and slid her way into bed. She snuggled herself into Alison's side, to which the blonde reacted by rolling onto her side and pulling Emily in close. She didn't even wake, which Emily was more than impressed with. Emily leaned in and placed a gentle kiss to Alison's lips, before settling herself down to sleep.  
'I love you babe' Alison mumbled as her eyes fluttered open, blue meeting brown.  
'I love you too' Emily whispered back with a smile. Alison leaned in for another kiss, needing to feel close to Emily. She felt as though they had been like passing ships lately as they both juggled dealing with the two babies. Emily kissed back longingly, needing to feel that same connection. She was just about to deepen the kiss when she they were suddenly broken apart by the sound of a baby crying over the monitor.

'Fuck it!' Emily cursed loudly as she threw herself back into the pillows, causing Alison to giggle. Emily never swore, only when she was extremely frustrated or angry.  
'It's ok babe, I've got this one' Alison said, still giggling. She placed a soft kiss to Emily's lips before jumping out of bed and making her way across the room. She reached the door and paused.  
'Hey Em?' she said as she turned on herself, 'Remember when we found out we were having twins, and you said that two babies couldn't be that hard?' she reminded the brunette, who hummed in recollection, knowing full well where this was going. 'You still feel that way now?' Alison asked with a chuckle. Emily grabbed a pillow from the bed and launched it across the room at her girlfriend, causing the blonde to let out a small scream and laugh harder. Emily rolled her eyes and followed the other woman down the stairs. She figured if they were both awake, they might as well make the most of spending at least a little time together.


	2. Baby Madness

_**Hi Guys! First of all, I just wanted to say thank you for the amazing feedback/follows on the last chapter. I'm so glad you all liked it! Sorry I made you wait so long for the next update, I honestly can't promise that I will be updating as regular as other authors do, but I will update as regularly as I can and I will make every chapter worth the wait!**_

 ** _Alison is returning to work after her maternity leave. How will the girls cope being alone for the first time since the twins were born?_**

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Alison made her way into the kitchen, the smell of pancakes hitting her nostrils. As she turned in the doorway she was met by the sight of her amazing girlfriend, half dressed in a shirt and panties, singing away while she cooked. Just across the room, Lily and Grace lay on a baby mat happily gurgling away to themselves. Alison couldn't help but smile at the scene of her little family; she still found it hard to believe sometimes that this was her life now.  
'Hey pretty lady' Emily called across the kitchen, flashing Alison her best smile.  
'Hey' Alison replied, making her way across the kitchen. She reached Emily and wrapped her arms around the woman from behind, placing a soft kiss to Emily's shoulder. 'You got up without me' she stated.  
'Yeah, I figured I'd get up early and make you a nice breakfast before your first day back at work' Emily replied quietly, reveling in the feeling of having Alison's arms wrapped around her. She would love nothing better than to whisk the blonde back to the bedroom and spend the day in bed making sweet, sweet love, but unfortunately Alison's maternity leave was now up and she today she would have to return to work. Emily on the other hand, had taken an extended absence of leave until the twins were a little older. Emily and Alison had discussed how they would juggle two babies and two full time careers, deciding that Alison would return to work first, followed by Emily a month later. Emily's Mom, wanting to cut their costs of childcare, had offered to work part-time around Alison and Emily's working hours in order to look after the twins during the day. Emily loved how devoted her Mom was to helping them with the babies. It had been a huge shock to Pam when Emily had come to tell her that Alison was carrying her child, but Pam could see that Alison was what truly made Emily happy, and that was all she wanted for her daughter.

'Oh god, the thought of going back to work makes me really sad' Alison confessed as Emily placed the final pancake onto a plate. She turned in Alison's arms and was met by those blue eyes she loved so much. She gently brushed a piece of hair from Alison's face and tucked it behind her ear.  
'Why? I thought you was looking forward to going back to work?' Emily questioned softly, narrowing her eyes a little as she tried to get a read on the way her girlfriend was feeling.  
'I am looking forward to it, it's just-' Alison began. She still found it so incredibly hard to open up and be honest about her feelings, even with Emily, but she was trying so hard to overcome it and let her walls down. She took a second before continuing, looking back into Emily's eyes, searching for that warm fuzzy feeling that only Emily could give her, that seemed to make her want to spill every thought, feeling and secret. 'These past six months, it's been amazing. You, me and the girls at home every day. It's like we've been living in our own little bubble, and honestly, it's been the best six months of my life. I'm scared that if I go back to work now, I'm going to miss out on so much. I don't want to lose the bond that we have now' Alison confessed. She had been feeling this way for a few days now, but it felt good to tell Emily how she was feeling.

'Ali,' Emily started, her heart breaking for her girlfriend. She knew how Alison felt, because she knew that she would feel exactly the same way if the situation were reversed. 'Just because you're going to be at work, it doesn't mean you'll be any less important or wanted. Honestly, I am terrified of handling these two on my own, but I know that at the end of the day you'll be coming home to us and it will all be ok.' Emily's confession made Alison realise that her return to work didn't just affect her, it affected the whole family. Emily was going to struggle not having Alison there to support her, the same way that Alison was going to struggle not being there during the day. It was another adjustment that they would have to make.  
'I love you' Emily whispered as she pulled Alison into her, wrapping her arms around her tightly in a hug. Alison in turn responded the same and the two women took a few moments to just enjoy being in each other's company. This was short lived though, as Lily began to wail from across the room. Emily and Alison both laughed as they separated.  
'Eat your breakfast, I'll get her' Emily said as she moved away from Alison and headed across the room to their daughters. Alison grabbed the plate of pancakes from the counter and made her way to the breakfast bar. As she sat and began to tuck in, she watched over her girls, the three most important people in her life, and thought about how lucky she was to be so loved.

Alison had spent the first part of the morning completely unfocused, her mind back at home with Emily and the girls. It was crazy how much her heart hurt just being away from them for a few hours. It was so bad that she spent her morning break texting Emily, and then when she didn't get a reply, calling Emily, to still get no reply. She then spent the rest of the morning worrying more and more. Her thoughts went from Emily being too busy feeding one of the babies to answer the phone, and ended at Emily being at the hospital with two dead babies.  
Emily on the other hand, had planned to spend the morning attempting to get the housework done while the twins took their nap. It seemed though, that the twins had other ideas. Every time Emily got them settled and went to sort laundry or wash the dishes from breakfast, Grace would need a diaper change or Lily would fuss and want to be held. Emily knew that Lily was being a little fussy lately, since her teeth were starting to come through, but by 10am both the girls were screaming and Emily couldn't for the life of her figure out how to soothe them.

By 10:30, they both had temperatures of around 100F and Emily was starting to panic. She had given them the medicine they had been prescribed by the doctor, but the girls seemed to be getting worse by the minute. Both girls were burning up, and Emily knew that if they got much hotter, she would have to take them to the hospital. She had stripped both girls down to their diapers, and was running out of options. By 10:45 she did the only thing she knew to do. She called her Mom.  
Pam left work and was at Emily and Alison's house within ten minutes of receiving her daughter's panicked phone call. She knocked on the door and was met by her panic-stricken daughter, who was holding two screaming, half naked baby girls. She rushed in and dumped her purse, jumping straight in to calm the situation.  
By 12:30, Pam had cooled the temperatures of both girls and had gotten them to settle for a nap in their strollers. She had also calmed Emily down and stopped the young woman from having a mini-breakdown over her parenting skills. Now, Emily was also fast asleep on the sofa. Pam made herself a cup of tea and sat back in a chair to observe the situation. The house, quite frankly, was a tip. Half sorted laundry strewn across the living room, dishes still sitting unwashed in the kitchen and baby clothes, toys, and bottles were littered around the house. Pam couldn't help but be a little amused by the situation. She remembered what it was like to be a first time Mom and how much she had struggled herself when she first had Emily. Pam remembered how tough it had been, and how much she had fret over every temperature and every bump Emily had. She couldn't imagine how it must be to have two babies to worry over.

The clock hit 1:30pm and Pam jumped when the silence was broken in the room by the Front door opening. Alison appeared through the door, looking a little disheveled and desperate. Pam figured Emily must have called her to tell her about the girls' temperatures.  
'Oh, Hi Alison. You didn't need to rush home. I've got everything under control' Pam said happily, offering the blonde a warm smile.  
Alison looked around the room and tried to take in the situation before her. The house looked like it had been ransacked and there was Pam happily sipping away on her tea. Then there was Emily, Lily and Grace sleeping peacefully amongst the chaos that was the DiLaurentis-Fields house.  
'What happened?' Alison asked in shock, still unsure of what had happened in the house. Pam rose from her chair and headed towards the kitchen, beckoning for Alison to follow her. Once they were out of the living room, Pam turned to face Alison and it made her heart melt at the sight of the blonde. Pam could see just how much Alison cared about Emily and the girls, it was so refreshing to see that the angsty teen Pam had seen push Emily away time and time again, had grown into a beautiful young woman who was truly open to loving and being loved by Emily.

'Pam, what happened?' Alison asked again, needing the older Fields woman to tell her that everything was ok. Pam had welcomed Alison into the family willingly, but not without a stern warning about hurting Emily, which Alison felt somewhat delighted by. She had helped both Emily and Alison through so much in the somewhat short time that they had been a couple, and all the years beforehand too, and Alison had begun to see Pam as a mother figure, especially after her own Mother was killed. It was only natural that Alison had begun to depend on Pam, and Pam was happy to oblige to anything the young blonde might need.  
'Everything is fine Ali. Emily just needed a little help with the girls' Pam replied, trying not to scare Alison even more than she already looked. 'The girls' got a slight temperature and Emily panicked a little, which is only natural. She called me to help, but it's ok now. Their temperatures are back down to normal and I think Emily was just a little overwhelmed by everything because she fell asleep as soon as Lily and Grace did' Pam added, smiling to herself. Alison visibly relaxed, knowing that everything was ok but she still didn't feel comfortable knowing she had to leave Emily alone again.  
'Ok, thank you so much Pam' Alison said gratefully. She knew how lucky they were to have Emily's Mom just around the corner. 'I'm going to call work, tell them I can't come back for the afternoon' Alison added, pulling her phone out of her purse. Pam stilled Alison's movements before she could reach her phone.  
'Don't do that. Go back to work, I'll stay here and make sure everything is ok' Pam insisted. 'I promise you I will call if anything happens' she added before Alison could protest. Alison wanted so badly to stay home and take care of Emily and her girls, but realistically she knew she couldn't bail on work, especially on her first day back. Emily would be fine with Pam, and Alison knew that the older woman was far more equipped to deal with Emily and the babies that even she was. Alison relentlessly agreed and made her way back to work, leaving the older Fields woman to take care of her girls. Pam sighed to herself, satisfied with herself for how she had handled this whole situation. Alison DiLaurentis was stubborn as a mule, but Pam knew just how to get her to give in without a fight. The older woman cupped her mug of tea and looked around the kitchen and through into the living room, clicking her tongue as she decided where to start first.

Emily woke to a dark, quiet room. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she looked around the, now tidy, living room and saw that it was empty, the curtains had been drawn and the lights were off. She felt like she had woken up in the twilight zone, nothing was how she remembered before she had fallen asleep. Where had her Mom gone and where were the girls? Emily pulled herself up from the couch and made her way through the living room and into the kitchen to find her Mom sitting at the counter holding Grace and Alison standing the other side holding Lily.  
'Hey sleepy head, I was just about to come wake you' Alison said as Emily walked through the door. 'I heard you had quite a day today' she added as she made her way over to her very sleepy and very confused girlfriend.  
'How long did I sleep for?' she asked, her voice still hoarse from the grogginess. The light was piercing her eyes and she found herself squinting to see clearly.  
'Well, it's 4:30 now, so I'd say around four hours' Alison replied, slightly amused after hearing from Pam about Emily's fiasco of a day. She felt for the other woman though, she knew how tough the girls were and she knew how much Emily wanted to be a good Mom, so for her to ever doubt that made Alison's heart break for her. Alison took in the sight of her girlfriend's tired eyes and messy hair, and it was like she was falling in love with her all over again.

'C'mere, pretty girl' Alison said softly as she pulled Emily in for a tight one armed hug, being mindful to not to squash Lily between them. 'Why don't you come sit down, I'll get you some coffee' she suggested. Emily nodded silently, taking Lily from Alison's arms before she made her way across the kitchen to sit beside Pam.  
'How're you feeling, Emmy?' Pam asked her daughter, smiling down at Grace who was now sucking on her finger' Pam looked up to Emily, watching her for a second as she took in the sight of how her daughter was half asleep, yet had adjusted to having the babies so well that she had automatically grabbed the bottle Alison had just warmed, and had begun to feed Lily. When Emily was just a baby herself, Pam would sit with her for hours while feeding her, and imagine the life her daughter would have. This wasn't what she had in mind for Emily, but Pam had come to accept and love the life that her daughter now had. Pam watched as Alison, took Grace and began to bottle feed her, and Emily cradled Lily whilst feeding the other girl, Pam let the atmosphere sink in. The gentle suckling of the two baby girls, the soft laughter and chatter from Emily and Alison as they talked about Alison's first day back at work and the nightmare of a day that Emily had had. It really was the perfect family, and Pam couldn't imagine a more perfect life for her daughter.


	3. A Night To Remember

**Hi guys! So, I got this chapter out quicker than I thought I would, and I'm working on another one to upload next week. Again, thank you for your comments and follows! If you have any requests/suggestions then please feel free to pop them in the comments section and I will see what I can do :)**

 **So, this chapter is set around 2 years after the Finale. The Twins are around 2 and a half, and are starting to develop their own personalities. Emily and Alison are beginning to struggle, especially since 2 toddlers means no time for themselves.**

 **Rated M for Mature themes**

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'Grace, keep still' Emily scolded as she tried to dress the squirming toddler, who had become a bit of a handful. Since the girls had turned two years old a few months beforehand, Lily had remained placid and quiet, happy to sit in front of the TV or at the table with a colouring book but Grace had become more and more energetic as time went on. While Emily found it endearing and encouraged her daughter to be herself, at times like this it was just plain annoying. It was only 9am and Grace had already managed to wreck the entire house. She had tipped the dog biscuits all over the kitchen floor, flooded the bathroom whilst drowning Lily's teddy bear in the toilet and had finally just succeeded in spilling not only her own breakfast, but also Lily's, all down the front of both girls, resulting in Emily having to change both girls for the first, and what Emily was sure would not be the last, time today.  
'Momma, I wanna go play!' the toddler yelled as she continued to attempt to squirm from her mother's grip. Emily managed to pull the top down over the child's head and released her with a sigh.  
'Go, but don't torment your sister!' she yelled after Grace, who was already tearing out of the bedroom and down the stairs. Emily couldn't help but chuckle at herself at times like this. She reminded herself so much of her Mom, the one person she grew up swearing she would never sound like, though now she loved that she sounded like the older woman. In Emily's eyes, if she sounded like her Mom, then she must be doing a pretty good job at this parenting thing.

Emily began to pick up the two sets of soiled clothes and threw them into the hamper, making a mental note to attempt to put on laundry today on top of the ever growing list of chores that she found herself doing at the weekend. Emily wished that she had more hours in the day to do the mundane tasks that took up so much of her free time, but also so that she and Alison could have just a few hours to themselves every now and again. Since the twins had been born, Emily felt like they barely had time to spend together, especially lately. Daytimes were taken up by work and running around after the girls, night times were full of bedtime tantrums and sleepless nights when the twins managed to find their way into their mothers' bed, resulting in Emily and Alison being kicked by tiny feet and prodded with little, pointy elbows, and both women getting hardly any sleep. Pam was a great help, offering to take the girls whenever Emily and Alison needed a break, but the older women struggled to keep up with the two troublesome twins nowadays and since she was still looking after them as much as she could during the week, in order to cut down Emily and Alison's childcare costs, they didn't like to ask her to babysit during the weekend aswell. Hanna, Aria and Spencer had always been great to babysit in the early days, but Hanna and Caleb had their own baby when the twins were a little over a year old and Aria and Ezra adopted a toddler a few months after. Spencer had decided to go travelling with Toby and they had settled in Cambodia around six months ago. Emily thought it was great, Spencer was heading a Charity Trust for children, and Toby was helping the charity to build houses and schools, it was amazing work for an amazing cause, but Emily missed them, if only to have an extra set of hands on board to hand the twins to when she needed even a half hour break to gather her thoughts.

Emily was pulled from her thoughts by a loud bang from downstairs followed by one of the girls crying. She rolled her eyes and headed down the stairs to find out what had happened. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Alison came heading through the front door, Pepe the dog following her at her heels as she let him off the lead. Both women looked at each other for a second, both of their faces reading the same, exhausted expression.  
'Momma! Grace-y pushed me' Lily sobbed as she toddled out of the living room, followed by a very guilty looking Grace. Emily turned from Alison to face her inconsolable daughter, bending down to lift the toddler onto her hip.  
'Did she baby?' Emily cooed as she give Lily a quick check over, looking for any visible bumps or grazes. 'That wasn't very nice Grace, why did you push Lily? She asked, her tone still soft. Emily didn't like to shout at the girls, she preferred to talk to them and keep the situation calm. Alison had a little more trouble sticking to this style of parenting, but she was trying, so Emily didn't push her about it too much. Emily turned to Grace, who was now incredibly quiet. She, in turn, looked up at her two Mothers, to see them both looking down at her expectedly.  
'Li-Lily was on the sofa, a-and I pushed her' Grace stuttered, trying her best to get her little head around the words she wanted to say, but being only two years old was difficult. Knowing in her mind what she so desperately wanted to say and express, but not having the vocabulary to do so was difficult.  
'Ok, well can you say sorry?' Emily sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to get any better of an explanation out of the two year old. Grace nodded her head vigorously in response, wanting not to be on her Moms' bad side.  
'Sowry Lily' Grace said sadly, reaching up as high as she could to rub her sister's leg, the only part she could reach.  
'I's ok Grace-y' Lily replied, wiping the few remaining tears from her face with the palms of her hands.  
'Ok girls, now play nicely please' Alison finally spoke up, happy enough with how the situation had just played out. Emily placed a kiss to Lily's head and gently dropped her daughter back down to the floor.  
'Lily, come play' Grace asked, gently pulling her sister into the living room. Laughter soon followed and Alison and Emily both breathed a sigh of relief that there was peace in their house again, for now at least.  
'How was your walk?' Emily asked, turning to Alison with a tired smile. Alison returned the smile as she latched onto Emily's hands and gently pulled her closer.  
'It was ok, I would have rather had a walk with you than Pepe though' Alison replied with a small laugh, before she closed the gap and pulled Emily in for a quick, soft kiss. Emily hummed happily into the brief kiss before pulling away, not wanting to get too lost in Alison while the twins were running around and potentially causing trouble.  
'Me too. I was just thinking about how we haven't really had any time to spend together lately. Maybe I should ask my Mom to have them for a few hours one evening' Emily wondered aloud, wanting so badly to have some time where she and Alison could relax and enjoy each other's company.  
'Babe, you know we can't do that' Alison replied, pouting sadly at Emily. Alison lifted her hand up to brush a strand of hair behind Emily's ear as she continued. 'Look, tonight we will put the girls down early and we'll get take out and watch a movie' Alison suggested, wanting to see Emily smile. All she wanted in this world was to make Emily happy and she would move Heaven and Earth for her to do so. Emily looked hesitant; she knew that Alison was trying to cheer her up, so she didn't want to burst the other woman's bubble, but Emily also knew the likelihood of them getting both girls into bed and to sleep early enough for them to order food and watch a movie together before they too needed to get some sleep, was slim to none.  
'I promise you, one way or another, we will have some alone time tonight' Alison added, knowing exactly what Emily was thinking.

'Hanna, please. Emily really needs this' Alison begged the other girl. 'I'll pay you a hundred dollars' she added, hoping that it would be enough to entice Hanna.  
'Alison, I'm sorry but you're going to have to ask someone else. Why can't Pam have them?' Hanna replied, feeling frustrated by the other blonde.  
'God, I thought you were past your phase of calling our parents by their first names' Alison snapped back, feeling her own frustration building.  
'And I thought you were past your phase of being a bitch' Hanna bit back sarcastically. Alison could almost hear her eyes roll through the phone. Alison took a deep breath to calm herself before she replied, something she had been trying recently. She had found herself slipping back into the High School version of herself, she gathered due to the lack of sleep and stress she had been under from the twins, and it wasn't something she wanted to happen so she had looked into some breathing and relaxation exercises. So far, they seemed to be working.  
'I'm sorry. Look, it's ok. I understand, I'll just find someone else' she added, unable to hide the sound of defeat from her voice. She had already called Aria, but she and Ezra had gone to visit Maggie and Malcolm for the weekend, Jason was busy and Spencer was still abroad. Alison knew that she was out of options, since even though Pam would happily take the twins, it was far too much for her to handle and Alison didn't want to put the older woman through that.  
'You really can't find anyone else?' Hanna asked hesitantly. She couldn't help but feel sorry for Alison and if the other blonde's voice was anything to go by, Hanna knew that she must be desperate. Hanna felt bad because she hadn't helped Emily and Alison out much at all recently. When they first had the girls, Hanna was at their house every day; Alison was practically begging her to leave at some points. Then when she had her own daughter, Hanna was constantly organising play dates but as they got bigger, they became more of a handful, as did her own daughter, and Hanna just quite frankly couldn't cope with three screaming toddlers in the house.  
'I'll come get them at 5' Hanna said, her stubbornness cracking. As much as the girls were hard work, she knew her friends needed a break, plus with Caleb home, Hanna was sure that they would be able to handle it for one night.  
'Seriously?' Alison couldn't believe what she was hearing. 'You'll seriously take them for the night?' she repeated, wanting to make sure she was hearing correctly.  
'Yes, I'll have them' Hanna laughed, feeling proud of herself for putting her friends before herself. She knew how much it meant to both Alison and Emily. 'But you owe me' she added, before she said her goodbyes and hung up the phone. Alison silently celebrated and began making plans for the evening ahead, wanting to make it as special for Emily as she could.

Alison was just putting the last of Grace and Lily's spare clothes in their bag, making a mental checklist that everything was in that they might need. Alison smiled over at her girls, who were settled on the sofa watching some kids TV show that Alison had absolutely no idea about, but was pretty sure that the person who created it had dreamed it up while having a very bad reaction to some highly illegal drugs. She briefly wondered if she might be able to find out what those drugs were and how she would be able to get her hands on some, when the doorbell rang. Lily and Grace's attention was pulled from the TV screen and both girls ran to the door, following in Alison's footsteps.  
'Hanna!' the toddlers shouted together, both launching themselves at Hanna the second the door was open. The blonde crouched down to catch the girls and pulled them both into her arms, squeezing them in a tight cuddle as she peppered their lightly tanned skin with kisses, causing both girls to laugh hard. Alison looked on fondly at the scene in front of her. Even though Hanna had been reluctant to have the girls for the evening, Alison knew that the other blonde loved them like they were her own, and both Grace and Lily adored Hanna in return.  
'How are my two best girls doing?' Hanna asked, still crouching in the porch with the girls in her arms.  
'Good' Lily replied as she twirled Hanna's long blonde hair around her tiny finger.  
'Hanna, can-can we get ouce cream?' Grace asked excitedly.  
'Sure, go get your bag and I'll take you for ouce cream and maybe we can go to the park before we go home to see Caleb and Ava' Hanna replied with a giggle. She carefully lowered the girls to the ground and gave them both a soft tap on the butt before they ran into the house cheering.

'Thanks Han' Alison said fondly as she pulled Hanna in for a hug. 'We really appreciate it and totally owe you' she added as they separated.  
'Hey, it's fine. I'm sorry I was so hesitant before' Hanna replied. She felt incredibly guilty that she had originally refused to look after the girls. Sure, they were a handful, but they were good girls. 'So, what do you have planned tonight?' Hanna asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Alison laughed and led Hanna into the living room where the girls were now struggling to pick up their overnight bag.  
'Oh, nothing you need to know about' Alison replied as she took the bag from the girls and handed it to Hanna. 'All you need to worry about is having my girls back home to me in one piece' she added, cocking her eyebrow slightly as she smirked. Hanna couldn't help but laugh. This gesture, that would have made High School Hanna shit her pants twice, was now so unlike Ali it was laughable.  
'You're not the scary Alison DiLaurentis you were in High School' Hanna laughed, taking the bag from Alison. 'Motherhood has softened you' she added, causing Ali to flash that dangerous scowl she was famous for. The smirk might not have the same impact anymore, but that scowl definitely still gave Hanna shivers.  
'Bye Mommy' Grace half yelled in excitement as she jumped up and down on the spot to get her Mom's attention. Alison softened instantly at the sound of her daughter's voice.  
'Goodbye my angels' she replied as she crouched down and pulled both girls in for a big hug. 'Be good for Hanna, ok?' she warned, pulling back to give Grace that same stern look that used to give 10th graders nightmares. Even at the tender age of two years old, Grace knew what that look meant. She nodded silently, not wanting to be on her Mom's bad side when she returned home. Alison pulled both girls in for another quick hug and placed a kiss on their soft, light brown hair. Alison suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to tell Hanna that she no longer needed a babysitter. The girls hadn't been away from home for the entire night for a long time and Alison suddenly didn't want them to leave.  
'Hey' Hanna called gently, reading every emotion in Alison's face as easily as she could read a book. 'They'll be ok, I'll take care of them' she added, wanting to quell Alison's sudden hesitation about letting the girls leave. Alison nodded in response and gave the girls one last kiss before letting them go. She watched from the porch as they followed Hanna to the car. Alison watched as her babies gave her one last wave goodbye from the backseat before Hanna drove them away. Even though she knew they were coming back tomorrow, Alison felt suddenly sad that her girls were gone and the house felt inexplicably quiet.

Alison had thrown her energy into creating the most amazing date night that Emily could dream of. Over the years, she had taken Emily on many dates, and each one had topped the last so Alison was putting herself under serious pressure to make this one the better than any they had been on before. As she looked around at her handiwork, she had to say she was pretty impressed with everything she had managed to do in the past hour. Alison had managed to send Emily off to the store, so now all she had to do was get herself ready and wait for her girl to come home to her.

'Hey baby' Alison heard Emily call through the house as she pushed the door shut behind her. 'Where are you?' Emily called, confused as to why the house was so quiet and why nobody, not even Pepe the dog, had come to greet her.  
'In here babe' Alison called from the living room, where she had been waiting patiently for around fifteen minutes for Emily to come home. Emily headed into the living room, still feeling very confused as to why the house was so quiet. She couldn't help but gasp as she entered the room. The lights were off and Alison had hung fairy lights all around the large room, making it light up with hundreds of tiny twinkle lights. On the Coffee table sat a bottle of wine in the ice bucket and beside it sat Emily's favourite food; Pizza. Emily turned to Alison, who she had yet to look at, tears welling up in her eyes that Alison had gone to so much of an effort to make her happy. When Emily turned to look at the other woman, it took everything in her power to stop her jaw from dropping. Lying on the sofa, Alison had on nothing but the simplest, sexiest black lace underwear Emily had ever seen. Her blonde hair falling down into her bosom in soft, delicate curls and her long legs leading down to a pair of sleek, black heels.  
'Ali Emily managed to mutter out. Suddenly, the fairy lights, the wine and even the pizza we're long forgotten and she took in the sight of her incredibly sexy fiancee lying in front of her. Alison smiled at Emily's expression as she got up from the sofa and slowly made her way across the dimly lit living room, stopping so close to Emily that it was torture to the brunette. Alison cupped Emily's cheek and pulled her in for a long, lust-filled kiss.  
'The girls are with Hanna for the night, so we have the place to ourselves' Alison stated when they parted, her voice barely above a whisper. That was all the explanation Emily needed. She dropped the bags to the ground and closed the distance between them, grabbing Alison's head and tangling her fingers into her long, blonde curls as she kissed her with hungry, crazed kisses. Alison moaned into the kiss, loving that she had gotten this response from Emily. It had been a while since they had had sex, even longer since they'd had rough, passionate sex, which was exactly how Alison liked it. Emily had often said that Alison was like an animal in bed. They had been so full of passion and want that they could never resist ripping the clothes off of each other, but lately they were both too tired to even have sex, let alone the animalistic, rough sex they used to have.

Emily's hands grabbed at the bare skin of Alison's stomach and waist as their tongues battled for dominance. Alison desperately grabbed at Emily's jacket, needing to feel the other woman's tanned skin beneath her fingers. Emily happily obliged and removed her jacket as Alison broke apart and pulled Emily's white t-shirt right off with it, exposing her full, round breasts cupped delicately in a black t-shirt bra. Alison's eyes darkened at the sight as Emily began to kiss her neck, trailing kisses from below her ear to the crook of her neck. Alison moaned at the touch as she pulled Emily's hair free from the hair band that was keeping it up in a neat ponytail. Neither girl could get enough of each other and as hands roamed skin and their breathing got heavier, both girls grew more desperate for contact.

Emily suddenly lifted Alison off the ground, causing the blonde to squeal in surprise as she instantly wrapped her legs around the brunette's waist, kicking her heels off in the process. She wrapped her arms around Emily's neck, her hands tangling deeper into her hair as she anchored them to the back of the other woman's neck and continued to kiss her passionately. Emily moaned in response as she carefully made her way across the room and gently lowered Alison on to the sofa. Emily unbuttoned her jeans and kicked off her shoes before lowering herself on top of the other woman and continued her assault on Alison's body. Alison swiftly unhooked Emily's bra and pulled her jeans lower, causing Emily remove both items and toss them aside. Emily's panties were next to go, followed by Alison's bra and panties. Emily lowered herself on to Alison and both girls gasped slightly as their bodies touched skin to skin for the first time. Alison felt the wetness pool between her legs and she needed Emily's touch more than ever.  
'Em' she pleaded between kisses. Emily complied instantly, trailing her hand up Alison's long leg legs until she reached her centre. The wetness surrounded her fingers as she teased Alison's folds, pushing through to find her clit. Alison moaned as Emily drew circles on her clit. Alison squeezed her hand between them, quickly finding Emily's clit and matched her movements. Both girls found themselves quickly building up, neither of them able to last as long as they used to. Emily felt Alison's motions halt as the blonde let out a long, loud moan, her whole body jolting as her orgasm hit her. Alison forced her fingers to move and thrust them into Emily's wet, hot core. She pumped them quick and hard as she rode out her own orgasm, desperate to make Emily feel as good as she was currently feeling. In what felt like no time at all, Emily came hard with a desperate moan as her centre clamped onto Alison's fingers.

Both girls rode out their orgasms with gentle touches and loving kisses, which was the opposite to the desperate actions moments earlier. The animalistic need placated, leaving them to revel in the love that they shared.  
'I love you so much' Emily whispered against Alison's lips. Their hands now stilled but lay rested between each other's legs, neither girl wanting to end the moment. Alison finally opened her eyes and looked longingly into Emily's brown eyes. She could see right into the other woman's soul, where all the love that Emily felt for Alison lay bare and unguarded. Alison reached up with her free hand and tucked a strand of long, brown hair behind Emily's ear before cupping her cheek tenderly.  
'I love you too Em. More than I could ever put into words' she replied.

The pizza box lay open and almost empty, the wine bottle only half full and Alison and Emily lay under the twinkling lights, a blanket covering their still naked bodies. Emily was lying on her back with Alison cuddled into her side, their legs tangled together comfortably as they listened to an old black and white movie play in the background. They hadn't been able to relax like this in a long time and neither girl wanted to break the silence, but they knew that their minds were both in the same place.  
'I wanted so bad for us to have a night like this' Emily started, unable to finish her sentence, but also desperately wanting to say where her mind was going. Alison hummed in agreement before speaking up.  
'Me too, but-' she paused before continuing. 'I miss the girls. It feels strange not having them here' she finished, speaking aloud what they had both spent a good amount of time thinking but not wanting to say.  
'We can't just...go get them' Emily said, speaking her thoughts aloud. 'Can we?' She pondered, turning slightly to look at Alison. The blond responded with a slight shrug before replying.  
'I mean, they're our children. I guess we can do what we want' she finally responded.

Twenty minutes later, Emily and Alison found themselves pulling up to Hanna's house. Emily looked at the clock, it was only 9:42. They had successfully managed to go a little over four hours child free. To Emily, it seemed like an accomplishment, Hanna however fell about laughing when she opened the door to see the two women practically begging for their daughters back.  
'You owe me twenty bucks babe!' she called through to the living room to Caleb, as she led the women into the house.  
'Fuck! Seriously!? You two couldn't hang on for another half an hour!?' he asked incredulously, turning to look at Alison and Emily as they entered the living room. Both women responded with confused looks, looking between Hanna and Caleb for an explanation.  
'I bet Caleb twenty dollars that you'd be back for the girls before 10pm because you missed them' Hanna finally explained with a shrug, causing Emily to roll her eyes and Alison to scowl.  
'Where are my babies?' Alison huffed, far too tired from their shenanigans earlier in the evening to even get snarky about the fact their friends think it acceptable to get on them.  
'Upstairs asleep in Ava's room' Caleb replied before taking a sip of beer, his attention shifting back to the football game on the TV.

Alison and Emily made their way up the stairs without another words, both desperate to see their girls. The quietly headed into the room to see their daughters cuddled up together on the fold out bed, their light brown hair mixing together on the pillow beneath them. Alison and Emily looked at each other, their hearts melting at the sight of their beautiful girls. Both women knew that come tomorrow, the girls would be wreaking havoc and driving Emily and Alison mad but the sight of them now, sound asleep like little angels made Emily and Alison remember how much they loved their little family.

They bundled both sleeping girls up in the car and headed home. Both Emily and Alison felt the need to be close to their daughters tonight, so with both girls still sleeping, they headed straight to Emily and Alison's room with the two little DiLaurentis-Fields girls and snuggled up close as a family in the bed. With their daughters in the middle of them, Alison and Emily smiled dreamily to each other before Emily too, fell into a peaceful slumber. As Alison looked over her three girls, she wondered how she could have possibly gotten so lucky to be this happy. As Lily snuggled in closer to her, gently sucking on her thumb, Alison settled down and basked in the feeling of being the most fortunate woman in the world.


	4. Bad Day

**Hey guys! So, here is the next chapter of Hand In Hand. It's nowhere near as fluffy as the last ones but I feel this would have been a poignant part of the Emison relationship if we'd seen it on screen.** **I took my time with this as I wanted to get it right, which I feel I did. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did to write it :)**

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Emily had been in a foul mood for the best part of the day and her students being defiant had tipped her stress levels to their peak. On top of the shit day she had already had, Hanna had bugged her into meeting for lunch and as much as Emily had tried to get out of it, the blonde had been annoyingly persistent. As she walked down the hall of RHS, avoiding eye contact with anyone who might try to stop her for conversation, Emily almost bumped into her Fiancée.  
'Hey, you might want to look where you're going' Alison chuckled as she grabbed Emily's arms to steady them both. Emily looked up into those ocean blue eyes that still melted her heart everytime she set eyes upon them.  
'Hey, sorry. I was just preoccupied' Emily mumbled. 'I have to go meet Hanna for lunch so I'll see you later' she added, before walking past Alison and out of the front doors. Alison furrowed her brow in confusion. Emily had been in a strange mood all morning and while Alison knew better than most that having a bad day was normal, Emily rarely had them and when she did, she was able to hide it better than anyone Alison knew. Today however, the brunette had barely said two words to her and that brief exchange of conversation was much colder than what Alison was used to receiving from Emily. Alison decided that she would broach the subject with Emily later and see if she could work out what had put her girl in such a funk.

Emily looked down at her salad, moving it about in the container with her plastic fork as Hanna excitedly jabbered on. Emily nodded and hummed in agreement, not really paying attention to anything the blonde was saying.  
'Ow!' Emily yelled, suddenly pulling back into the real world as Hanna jabbed her with a fork. 'What was that for!?' Emily half shouted as she checked her arm to make sure the skin hadn't broke.  
'I just thought you needed a kick start back into life, since you've been acting like a zombie since you get here.' Hanna quipped as she stuck her fork into a piece of chicken.  
'I have not' Emily replied, rolling her eyes at Hanna. She knew that Hanna was right but she wasn't about to let the blonde know that.'  
Oh really? You haven't listened to a word I've said in the past twenty minutes and you've barely touched your food' Hanna stated with a smirk, clearly proud of her detective skills. She felt that Spencer would have appreciated this moment.

Emily huffed and looked back down at her salad, hoping that if she didn't make eye contact and didn't respond then Hanna would go back to talking about herself and things would be fine.  
'What's wrong with you anyway? You and Ali have a fight?' Hanna asked, her mouth half full of food. Emily felt her blood beginning to boil, why couldn't Hanna just take a hint and talk about something else.  
'No' Emily replied sternly, stabbing a tomato so hard that the juice squirted out the side from the force.  
'Oh, you totally did. What was it about? Trouble in Lesbos?' Hanna asked, giggling at how worked up Emily was getting  
'What's with all the questions!?' Emily shouted, causing Hanna to instantly stop laughing. Emily had officially lost her temper. 'Why don't you just stop worrying so much about my life and focus on your own' Emily added before storming out of the café. Hanna was dumbfounded, she had seen Emily mad but never like that. She wasn't sure what to do. Should she follow Emily or leave her be? She did the only thing she could think of. Hanna whipped out her phone and dialled Alison's number.

When Alison received Hanna's call, she began to worry even more about Emily. What on earth could have possibly put her in such a bad mood? Knowing Emily had a free period after lunch, Alison quickly arranged for someone to cover her class before heading home, figuring that that was where Emily would be.

Alison skidded her car out of the parking lot with a screech and drove way over the limit, wanting to get home to Emily as quickly as possible. Alison parked the car and headed into the house where she was met with the sound of raw, heartbroken sobs. As she made her way into the living room, Alison's own heart instantly broke at the sight of Emily. The brunette was curled in a ball on the sofa, her knees pulled into her chest and black, mascara tears were running down her beautiful face. Alison rushed across the room and took Emily into her arms as she sat beside her, pulling her into a tight, loving hug.  
'It's ok baby, I'm here' Alison hushed as she placed a soft kiss to the other woman's head. Alison felt her own tears forming. Her heart felt heavy and her stomach was twisting at the sight of the person she loved so much, being so distraught.

As she was about to ask Emily what was wrong, Alison's attention was brought to a picture that lay in an open photo album on the coffee table. Of course, how could she have been so stupid to have forgotten? Today was the Anniversary of Wayne Fields' death and whenever this day came around, Emily was never in a great mood. Over the past few years since his death, Alison and Emily would stay snuggled up in bed watching old movies and eating junk food. Alison would hold Emily close, wanting to hold all the pieces of the brunette together. They were far from being a couple when Wayne had died, but Alison had instinctively jumped in head first to protect the brunette that she loved more than life.

 _Alison waited anxiously at the airport arrivals lounge, she felt as though she had been waiting forever. The second she had received the call from Spencer about Emily's Dad, Alison knew that she needed to be there. Spencer had said that she had arranged to pick Emily up, but Alison insisted that it be her. That instinct to protect the brunette had kicked in automatically and Alison wasn't going to be having anyone else at that airport waiting. The second she saw her, Alison felt her heart drop. Dressed in jeans and a hoody, her hair scraped back into a messy bun and not a bit of make up on, Emily still looked beautiful to Alison but she definitely lacked that glow and energy that she usually had. As she got closer, Alison could see the dark circles under her eyes, tinged red from what Alison assumed was a lot of crying. Quite frankly, Emily looked exhausted.  
_ _'Hey, pretty girl' Alison greeted Emily with a sad smile, pulling her into a warm hug. As she fell into Alison's arms, Emily felt all her strength crumble under the protection of the blonde. She felt that ever present lump that had been stuck in her throat since she got the call from her Mom, swell significantly until it felt as though it were suffocating her from the inside. Tears flooded her eyes and Emily let out a soft sob as she clung to Alison for dear life. She didn't ever want the blonde to let her go. Alison had always been her safety net, and right now Emily needed her more than she ever had before.  
_ _'It's ok, I've got you' Alison whispered, before placing a lingering kiss to Emily's temple. Alison knew that she would hold Emily forever if she needed her to. They had so much history and memories, so many feelings and emotions that their friendship had existed around; that they had connected in this way that none of the other girls would ever come close to. Emily and Alison, whether their relationship was platonic or not, would always be each other's go to person. They were like puzzle pieces, both beautifully intricate and complex alone but they needed each other to feel complete. It was why Emily was grateful for it being Alison that would meet her at the airport. The journey was horrendous and Emily hoped she never had to have another one like it, but knowing that Alison would be at the other end waiting for her made it just a little easier. Not being one to cry in public, Emily had held her emotions in for the entire flight from LAX to Philadelphia, counting down those long, never ending minutes until she would be in Alison's arms and could finally let go._

 _The drive back to Rosewood felt ten times longer than usual for both girls. Emily spent the entire time with her head resting against the window, her eyes vacant as she stared out at the trees and buildings flashing past. The glass felt cool against her forehead, though Emily barely noticed. Her mind was elsewhere, unable to process anything other than the fact that her Dad, her protector and her friend, was no longer with her. Alison drove in silence, every now and again looking over to check on Emily. Alison didn't talk, she knew that Emily didn't need that right now and besides, Alison didn't know what to say anyway. What do you say to someone who has just lost a parent that they loved so much? Sure, Alison had lost her own Mother, but her relationship with her Mom was fragile and fickle. Though Alison loved her Mom and she was sure that Jessica loved her back, they didn't have that Mother/Daughter bond that most Mothers craved. Jessica wasn't someone who showed her emotions, she was more withdrawn and cold than Emily or Aria's Moms. Even Spencer's Mom seemed like a pussy cat compared to her own. Although she had been sad when her Mom died, Alison knew that her grief did not compare with Emily's who looked as though the whole world had been ripped from beneath her feet and she was freefalling through space, just waiting for someone to catch her. That person would be Alison, she would make sure of it._

' _Em, we're here' Alison spoke softly as she leaned over the centre console and placed her hand on Emily's thigh. 'We can sit here for a moment if you want. We don't have to go in right away' she offered, wanting Emily to know that there was no pressure. She could take as much time as she needed. Alison knew that the second they walked into that house, Emily would try her best to straighten up and be strong for her Mom. She would take control and the burden would fall on her to plan the funeral and anything else that needed to be taken care of. Whatever was going on, Alison would be holding Emily's hand every step of the way and would be there to ensure that the brunette took just a few moments for herself every now and again._

' _I'm ready' Emily spoke for the first time. Alison almost jumped at the sound, not expecting Emily to talk. She couldn't help but notice how different her voice sounded. That usual lilt that Emily had was gone, instead replaced with a heavier, rougher voice that sounded almost as though she had a heavy cold and sore throat. Alison reached over and gently brushed a rogue tear from Emily's cheek with her thumb. She gave Emily a sad smile and got herself out of the car before quickly rounding to Emily's side. As the girl's headed towards the house, Emily stopped for a second, mentally preparing herself for what was going to happen when she walked through that door. Alison took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, reminding her that she had someone there with her. Emily took a deep breath and entered the house._

 _Alison had been right about Emily being strong for her Mom. The second the two women saw each other, Pam burst into tears and sobbed into Emily's hoody. Emily wrapped her arms tightly around the older woman and though she let a few silent tears fall, it was as though she was a different person to who had been sat in Alison's car just a few moment ago. For the next few hours, people came and went through the house like it was Grand Central Station and Alison, who was trying to help out any way she could, made more Tea and Coffee than Starbucks. Spencer, Hanna and Aria had come by for a while and Alison was grateful for the help as the other three girls chipped in, doing everything they could think to do so that Emily and Pam could grieve in as much peace as the well-wishers and sympathy givers would allow them to have. Eventually the house began to clear out and Hanna, Spencer and Aria saw that as their cue to leave.  
_

' _Ali, you look exhausted. If you want to head off and get some rest, I can stick around and take over' Spencer offered as the other two girls went to grab their jackets. Alison gave Spencer a weak smile but shook her head. Sure, she was wrecked but if anyone was going to be there for Emily, it was her.  
_ _'Thanks, but I'm fine' Alison replied simply. Spencer nodded in understanding, she hadn't expected Alison to agree to leave, but she had felt the need to offer regardless.  
_ _'Ok. Just know that you don't have to take care of her alone' Spencer replied before giving Ali a hug goodbye. Alison understood the hidden meaning behind Spencer's words. Spencer was worried that Alison would feel responsible for Emily, which she did. She and Emily had a much different relationship than what either of them did with the other girls, but that didn't mean that they cared any less, and Spencer wanted Alison to remember that. To not push them out and let them help. The only problem was that Alison knew that the only person Emily would want there was her._

 _Once the girls left, Alison headed to the living room where Emily and Pam sat. The two women were sitting on the sofa holding each other and Alison did not want to disturb their moment so she headed to the kitchen, where what seemed like hundreds of tea cups and plates sat unwashed. Alison sighed, rolled up her sleeves and began to wash. The Fields' had a dishwasher but Alison had always appreciated the manual way of washing dishes, plus she found it somewhat relaxing. She did some of her best thinking while her hands were soaked in warm, soapy water.  
_ _'You don't have to do that' came Emily's voice from the doorway. Alison turned to see the taller brunette slouched sideways against the frame.  
_ _'I don't mind, honestly. I figured I'd give you and your Mom some space' Alison replied as she pulled her hands out of the water and grabbed the nearest dish cloth to dry them on. 'I can leave if you want? Leave you to have some privacy' she added, suddenly realising that Emily might indeed want a little more space than she was offering. Emily straightened herself up and Alison placed the cloth back on the counter, and made her way closer.  
_ _'No' she replied, shaking her head. 'Don't leave me?' she asked, her voice pleading in an almost childlike way, her eyes brimming with years. Alison could see how vulnerable her friend was right now, and those brown, tear filled eyes were practically screaming at her to stay. Alison closed the distance and took Emily's hands into her own, letting them hang loosely between them.  
_ _'Ok. I'll stay as long as you need me to' Alison promised, knowing it was a promise she would never in a million years dare to break. 'Can I get you anything?' Alison asked, reaching up to brush away stray tear that had fallen, before resting her hand on Emily's cheek. Emily closed her eyes in response to Alison's touch, revelling in the feeling of Alison's soft hands against her skin.  
_ _'No, just…stay with me' she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. Alison nodded in response.  
_ _'Ofcourse. Maybe you should get some rest?' she offered, noting how Emily looked as though she would drop any moment._

 _Emily nodded and allowed Alison to lead her up the stairs and to her bedroom. As she entered her room, she became swarmed with memories of her Dad in this room. She remembered him tucking her to sleep at night as a child, him reading bedtime stories and helping her with her homework. All those long Father /Daughter chats they would have while he sat on the end of her bed and that time he had attempted to give her the sex talk, rather awkwardly she might add. This room was filled with wonderful memories with a wonderful man, and it hurt that those memories were all she had left. Alison saw the wet, fat tear roll down Emily's cheek. She swooped in there quickly and yet again, brushed it away with her thumb. Alison figured she'd be doing that a lot. It hurt so much to see Emily cry, it had always been that way. Whenever Emily cried, Alison would feel an urge to hurt whoever had made those beautiful tears fall. The only problem was this wasn't something she could fix. Alison couldn't bring back Emily's Dad and make everything better. This was forever, and Emily would be reminded of this every single day of her life. The man that should walk her down the aisle and be there to celebrate the birth of her children, but never even got to see her graduate from college._

 _Alison led Emily to the bed before getting in beside her and snuggling up behind her. Emily felt herself sink into Alison as the blonde's arms wrapped around her middle. They hadn't lain like this in a long time and despite the current situation, Emily found herself enjoying the old, but familiar, feeling of her best friend wrapped around her. As they lay in silence Alison's hand stroked up and down Emily's side, occasionally catching at her t-shirt and exposing tanned skin. Alison knew that now wasn't the time to be thinking these thoughts, but it felt so good to feel Emily's warm, soft skin beneath her fingertips. It took her back to all those times she had let herself indulge in the brunette. All those fumbling make out sessions, the experimentation of each other's bodies. Alison was pretty sure that they knew each other's bodies better than they knew their own at this point; she just wished that she had been confident enough back then to tell Emily how she really felt._

 _At some point both girls had fallen asleep and Emily woke to a dark room, she had turned in her sleep and was now lying with her head against Alison's chest, the blonde's arm wrapped around her side. Emily looked up at Alison, she looked so peaceful. Her blonde hair splayed over the pillow and her arm hooked over her head. Emily had always admired how beautiful Alison DiLaurentis was, but more so when she was sleeping. Alison stirred awake as she felt Emily moving in her arms, blue eyes fluttering open and focusing onto Emily's brown ones._

 _'Hey, you ok?' Alison asked sleepily. She wrapped her arms around Emily again, pulling her in closer. As much as she wanted to be supportive, Alison was also enjoying this feeling. It felt so natural, the two of them cuddled up in bed together and waking together. It felt like it was meant to be. As guilty as she felt for feeling it, Emily felt the overwhelming need to be closer. She needed Alison so badly, in more ways than one. Braving the rejection, Emily propped herself up a little and leaned in closer, capturing Alison's lips with her own. Both girls' eyes drifted shut at the contact, both of them savouring the feeling. Alison had been wanting this for far longer than she would care to admit, but she knew that Emily was going through a hard time, and she wasn't about to be the girl that took advantage of that.  
_ _'Em' she whispered sadly as she pulled away, her fluttering back open. Emily looked down upon Alison's face and could see the hesitation in her eyes, but also the lust and want that reflected Emily's own.  
_ _'It's ok' Emily replied, knowing exactly what Alison was going to say, mostly because she would have said the same. The time wasn't right and Emily knew that. She had suffered the greatest loss she could ever imagine and a quick fumble with Alison DiLaurentis wouldn't make the hurt and pain go away, plus Emily respected Alison far too much to make her a quick fuck to ease the pain for a few minutes. She was more than that. So, Emily shot Alison a weak smile and leaned in to peck her on the lips tenderly, before lying back down in the arms of the girl she loved, but figured she could never have._

They had spent days in that bed, just the two of them. Some days they would just lay there in silence, Alison holding Emily close, others they would talk. Emily would share memories of her Dad, or they would talk about random subjects like College or High School. Sometimes they laughed, but sometimes Emily cried so much that Alison didn't think she'd ever stop. It was a strange process to watch, and be a part of, but Alison was so glad that she had gotten to be there by Emily's side throughout it all. Emily had often said that it had been Alison who had helped her through. It was the reason they had decided that once a year, on the anniversary of his death, they would have a bed day, just the two of them, and Alison would let Emily do whatever it was that she pleased. If she wanted to sleep, they would sleep. If Emily wanted to talk, they would talk. If Emily wanted to cry, Alison would hold her until the tears stopped. This year was only the second anniversary they had spent together being an actual couple, but what with the twins and work, it had completely slipped Alison's mind that it was today.

Alison looked down at Emily, who had now stopped crying and fallen asleep in her lap. Deciding that she needed to rectify the situation, Alison went straight into damage control. She carefully slid out from beneath Emily's head, placing a cushion in her place, and headed into the hall. She pulled out her phone and hit speed dial.  
'Hey, Han. It's Ali' she began, keeping her voice hushed so as not to disturb Emily.  
'Hey, has She-Hulk gone back to her usual self again?' Hanna quipped, sounding more than a little unimpressed still about how Emily had blown up at her.  
'About that, Em didn't mean that. It's just…it's a bad day' Alison tried to explain, hoping that Hanna would also pick up on what day it was.  
'Yeah, well we all have bad day's Alison, that's life. But we don't all go around shouting at our friends' Hanna yelled back down the phone, her own frustration mounting about the whole situation. She knew that obviously Alison would stick up for Emily, Hanna just thought she'd have a bit more tact about it.  
'Hanna. It's the anniversary today' Alison explained calmly, trying her best not to bite back at Hanna's rant. These words made Hanna halt mid-sentence and suddenly she felt incredibly guilty.  
'Shit' she replied. 'How could I have forgotten that?' she added once the realisation had sunk in.  
'Well, join the club. I forgot too. I guess with everything going on, we just got pre-occupied and wasn't keeping check on the date' Alison reasoned, more to herself than Hanna. 'That's why I need you to please collect the girls from Pam this afternoon and take them for the evening' Alison asked hopefully. She really just wanted to make up to Emily for forgetting. She heard Hanna sigh and immediately thought the worst. Alison's brain ticked and tocked as she tried to think of a way to persuade Hanna.  
'Fine. Just because it's Em's 'bad day'' she replied, and Alison could practically hear her rolling her eyes.  
'Thank you so much, I owe you' Alison replied gratefully before hanging up the phone. That was part one of 'Emily's bad day' sorted.

Alison tip-toed into the living room and crouched down beside the sofa. She gently brushed Emily's hair from her face before leaning in to peck her on the cheek.  
'Em? Wake up baby' she cooed, wanting to wake Emily as gently as possible. There was nothing worse than being woken from sleep but especially if you're not woken in a calming way. Emily's eyes opened slowly and she blinked a few times to focus her vision. Her eyes felt dry, she figured from all of the crying she had done earlier.  
'Hey babe. Sit up' Alison coaxed, helping Emily into a vertical state. Once Emily was sat up, Alison gave her a minute to wake properly.  
'What time is it?' Emily asked groggily. She found it so disorientating whenever she slept during the day. She always expected to wake up and it be morning.  
'It's only two' Alison replied, smiling at how cute Emily was whenever she had just woken. 'C'mere, I wanna show you something' she added, pulling Emily to her feet and leading her upstairs.

When they entered their bedroom, Emily's eyes widened. Alison had made a blanket fort with every blanket in the house. Inside it was draped with fairy lights, there was food and drink and the old portable TV and DVD player with duvets and cushions to cuddle up into.  
'Ali, you must have used every blanket in Rosewood to make this' Emily chuckled. 'Why though?' she asked, furrowing her eyebrows a little.  
'Well, I felt bad that I forgot what today was' Alison explained cautiously, not entirely sure how Emily's mood was. 'I just wanted to make it up to you and do something special and I know how much you used to love making forts and hanging out in them. I also apologised to Hanna for you and she's taking care of the girls' Alison added with a toothy smile, hoping that Emily would look past the fact that she had forgotten about the date, and focus more on the fact that she had done all of this for her. Emily couldn't help but laugh at Alison's expression, she knew that she could be a little unpredictable on her Dad's anniversary, but she could never be mad at Alison for forgetting.

'It's ok. Our lives are totally different this year. Last year, you was pregnant with the girls so it was easier but this year we have two ridiculously needy babies to look after, and jobs to try not to get fired from. We can't just bail on life and spend the day in bed anymore' Emily said, trying to be realistic, but also a little sad that their tradition couldn't happen anymore. She loved spending the day in bed with Alison.  
'Well, that's where you're wrong, Miss Fields' Alison replied with a smirk. 'I, Alison DiLaurentis, promise you that on this day, every year, we will take a day's vacation from work and ship the girls to whoever will take them, and we will have a whole day of doing whatever you want to do.' Alison replied, feeling relieved to finally see a smile on Emily's face.

Emily pulled Alison in for a long, lingering kiss. She let things heat up just enough to make Alison want more, before pulling away.  
'See you in the fort' she husked sexily, before jumping in behind a blanket and waiting for her girl to follow. Alison couldn't help but laugh. Sure, she was now immensely sexually frustrated, but she had successfully cheered Emily up and taken her out of the foul mood that she had been in all morning, and Alison had a feeling she knew exactly what Emily wanted to do in that fort. Alison had done her time waiting for Emily Fields, she had been more than respectful during her times of grief and had always stopped anything from happening that she didn't feel was right, but by god, did this feel right.

Sure, Emily missed her Dad like crazy and every day seemed both easier and harder, but the one thing she has now that she didn't have then, was Alison and Emily wouldn't change that for anything in the world.


	5. A Tale of Two Brides

**Hi guys! So, this morning I started writing because I had the idea for this chapter and I finished it far quicker than I anticipated. Usually I would wait a few days and go back to it for editing, but I just love the emotion of this so much. So, since it's not edited I apologise for any spelling mistakes, etc! Enjoy the fluffiness, I don't know how much longer it will be around!**

* * *

It had been a little under four years since Alison had proposed to Emily in her pug sweater, and though the two women wanted to marry so badly, they had decided that it was to be put on hold until the twins were a little bigger and more manageable. Emily loved the idea of having their girls walk down the aisle with them and Alison had to admit, it would be pretty damn cute to see them in their bridesmaid dresses. It had been four long years, yet here they were, the evening of their wedding.

The day had finally come, and Alison was feeling a mixture of emotions as she sat with her friends and their children outside of the Lost Woods Resort. Emily had loved the evening they all spent together before Aria's wedding so much, that they had decided to forgo their Bachelorette Parties, since they would have the same friends there anyway, and instead have a 'family' meal. Alison looked around the table at the faces of the people she loved and couldn't help but feel like the luckiest woman in the world. Everyone had rallied around when they had announced the date for the wedding, Spencer had even flown back from Cambodia, stating that she missed Rosewood anyway.

' _Spencer, you don't have to come back' Emily tried to reason as they chatted over Skype. 'You love working over there, we totally understand if you can't make it' she added, not wanting to put any pressure on the other woman.  
'Emily, I love it here, the kids are amazing and the job is the most rewarding job I will ever have, but I'm honestly ready to come home.' Spencer replied, giving Emily a reassuring smile. 'We've already been here way longer than we planned and besides, we miss you guys. Grace and Lily are getting so big and I feel like I'm missing out on their lives. The same with Ava and Sawyer' She finished, referencing Hanna and Aria's daughters. Spencer really was ready to come home to her friends and family, and Emily and Alison's wedding was the perfect opportunity to do so. Emily couldn't keep the smile from growing on her face, she had really missed Spencer.  
'It'll be so good to see you again, Spencer. Plus, someone needs to keep Hanna in check. She's already driving us crazy about wedding dresses and venues' Alison chimed in from behind Emily as she made her way over to the couch to join in the conversation.  
'Oh I can only imagine' Spencer replied with a chuckle. It felt so good to be able to speak to the other two girls, Spencer felt as though she had been completely out of the loop since she had decided to leave Rosewood. Seeing two of her best friends in front of her, well through the screen, made her wonder why she ever left in the first place.  
'I'm pretty sure that Ali has been dreaming up ways to seriously injure Hanna enough that she can't plan the wedding' Emily added with a chuckle, which caused Alison to frown and pout beside her.  
'Hey!' She protested, side-eyeing Emily. 'It was never anything that could hurt her that badly, just something that would put her in the hospital for a few days to get her out of my way' she added, looking away from Emily and Spencer so as to not hold eye contact. Both Emily and Spencer laughed at this, shocked that Alison had actually contemplated harming Hanna, though admittedly they had both had the same thought process before for other reason, though neither of them could actually harm Hanna._

It had been a crazy year of planning, but finally it had all come together perfectly. Alison looked on as Hanna's daughter Ava, who was now two, ran after Grace. Lily was sat with Emily and talking animatedly to Spencer about all the animals Spencer had seen on her travels. Aria and Ezra's adopted daughter Sawyer, who was almost five, was sitting beside Hanna and looking on in awe as Hanna showed her pictures on her phone of all of the dresses she had designed and celebrities she had dressed. Meanwhile Aria, Ezra, Caleb and Toby were talking about the book that Aria was writing and Caleb's new job working for a private investigation team for the government. Apparently it was top secret and he couldn't say much more.

Alison felt two warm arms wrap around her neck from behind.  
'You're really quiet over here. What you thinking about?' Emily asked quietly into her ear before pressing a kiss to her cheek. Alison smiled at the contact and brought her hands up, wrapping them tenderly around Emily's forearm.  
'Nothing much, just watching everyone and thinking how lucky we are' Alison replied fondly as she continued to watch and listen to the chatter and laughter mixed amongst the soft music playing in the background. Emily had to admit, when she took a step back and really looked, it truly was the most honest picture of love and happiness. Emily couldn't help but feel blessed that this was her life now, and tomorrow she would be walking down the aisle to be joined for eternity, to the most beautiful thing in her life.

'So, are you feeling nervous yet Ali?' Hanna asked as she took a sip from her wine. The group had moved and were now sat around a fire and with the children asleep in the arms of the adults around them; the atmosphere was now peaceful and serene with just gentle voices and the sound of the fire spitting. Alison smiled, her arms wrapped around Grace who was fast asleep and gently snoring.  
'Not a chance. I don't think I've ever been more sure and ready for anything in my life' she replied, glancing over to Emily as she did to catch eye contact with those brown orbs that made her heart race.  
'If someone asked me back in High School to put a bet on you guys getting married, I'd have put a bet on for a hundred dollars and said no fricken way' Caleb state,, causing the group around him to laugh. 'Honestly though guys, I'm so happy for you.'  
'To Emily and Alison' Aria added, raising her glass.  
'To Emily and Alison' the group chimed in, raising their own drinks in response.

'Oh Emily, you look so beautiful!' Pam gushed as Emily came out from the bathroom. 'Your Dad would have been so proud of you today' she added, tears already brimming her eyes. Emily knew that today would be emotional for the both of them, as Wayne Fields had often talked about walking his daughter down the aisle.  
'He's with us every day' Emily replied as she hugged Pam, her own tears beginning to appear.

'This is all really lovely ladies, but Emily if you mess up your mascara, I will personally kick your ass' Hanna interrupted as she handed Emily a tissue to dab away her tears. 'Now, soon to be Mrs DiLaurentis-Fields, if you'd care to follow me, your wedding is about to start and no bride, even one as beautiful as you, can get away with being late for their own wedding' Hanna added as she took the tissue and gave Emily a final once over, a proud smile plastered across her face. Emily giggled, sniffing back more tears. Hanna had been a huge pain in the ass, but she had done an amazing job with arranging the wedding, her attention to detail really was something to be admired.

Alison walked out of the back of her cabin, holding onto Jason's arm the whole way. She was so excited to be marrying her best friend, but those nerves that Aria had mentioned beforehand had hit her hard, and suddenly Alison's legs felt like jelly and the butterflies in her stomach had transformed into bats.  
'Ali, breathe' Jason whispered, smiling at his sister who had gone unusually quiet and was looking a little clammy. 'You look beautiful by the way' he added, which caused Alison to chuckle. Jason was never one to give compliments to her, they didn't have that kind of relationship, but it seemed that as they had gotten older and their priorities had changed, they had bonded a lot more. Jason had gotten married last year, and his Wife was expecting a baby in a few months, so Alison had received many late night calls from Jason either asking about hormones and cravings, or him freaking out about the fact that he was going to have to raise a baby.

Alison and Jason finally reached their spot at the side of the Lost Woods Resort, where Aria stood in a black, strapless bridesmaid dress with a white ribbon belt tied into a bow at the waist. Holding each of her hands was Lily and Sawyer in their own white, fluffy Bridesmaid dresses with a black band.  
'Mommy!' Lily called as she left Aria's side and ran to Alison. 'You look pretty like a princess' she said, her eyes wide as she looked up at her mother. Alison laughed, lifting Lily onto her hip.  
'Thank you baby girl, you look pretty like a princess too' she replied, 'Now give your Mommy a kiss?' she asked, puckering up her lips. Lily placed her little, chubby hands onto Alison's cheeks and kissed her on the lips, before Alison put her down again. 'Thank you, now can you go hold Aria's hand for me? We're going to walk in a minute like we practiced' she reminded Lily.

Emily was escorted to the other side of the resort by Pam and Hanna, who was in a matching dress to Aria. They were met by Spencer, also in her black bridesmaid dress, who was holding hands with Grace and Ava. Grace got excited when she saw Emily and went running over to her, much like Lily had done with Alison.  
'Momma, Momma! Look, I have a princess dress!' she called, twirling on the spot in front of Emily, who couldn't help but laugh at her daughter. It amazed Emily how Lily and Grace seemed to look more and more like her every day.  
'You look beautiful, Grace' Emily replied to the younger girl with a smile. Emily crouched down to Grace's level and kissed her on the forehead. 'Now, can you go stand with Spencer for me and hold her hand?' she asked, causing Grace to nod and run back to Spencer. Emily took a deep breath and stood herself, Pam coming in from behind to link their arms together.  
'You're going to be fine, honey' Pam said knowingly. She knew exactly what was going through her daughter's head, because she herself had probably had all the same thoughts and more on her own wedding day. Pam remembered it like it was yesterday. The nerves and panic, her heart racing like a freight train, but she also remembered the excitement and love, and the fulfilment she got from being married to the love of her life.  
'Ok' Emily breathed in response, unable to vocalise anything more than that through fear of vomiting on her wedding dress.

The bridal parties got into their positions just as a harp began to play beautiful music throughout the forest resort. Emily and Alison were now standing at opposite ends of the opening and were looking on to each other as they began their slow descent towards each other. They had decided that since their relationship was far from traditional, they would break away from the traditional 'walking down the aisle' and instead would walk towards each other through the centre of their guests and meet in the middle. It seemed more fitting in respect to their relationship.

The walk felt as though they were walking for miles, both women eager to be together. As they reached the middle, Alison escorted by Jason and Emily by Pam and their bridesmaids following behind them, both women's smiles begin to grow and neither Emily or Alison could keep their tears at bay at the sight of the other woman. They walked past their guests, who were sat on wooden logs that had been sculpted into benches by Toby, and had been placed in a circular shape around a beautifully carved podium. Fairy lights had been woven across the entire outdoor area, creating a web of lights above them, and along the aisle were mason jars filled with oil candles. Both Alison and Emily had to admit, Hanna definitely had beautiful taste when it came to planning a wedding, and since she had planned, decorated and arranged the wedding pretty much single handed, as well as designing and making all of the dresses for the brides and bridesmaids, Alison and Emily had decided that she deserved a treat.

'You look beautiful' Alison said through tears as they joined in the centre.  
'So do you' Emily replied as she laughed through her own tears. Emily took Alison's hands in her own and looked into those eyes and knew that if they were the last eyes she ever looked into, she'd be perfectly happy with it.  
'Ladies and Gentleman, we are gathered here today in this beautiful setting to witness the marriage of Emily Catherine Fields and Alison Lauren DiLaurentis' the registrar started. Emily wasn't quite listening and found herself zoning in and out. She was completely enamoured with the woman in front of her.

'Emily, would you like to state your vows?' the woman asked, smiling from behind the podium. Emily jumped out of her stupor and prayed that she could remember everything she had wanted to say. She took in a breath and looked at Alison as she started, the words flowing from her freely.  
'Alison, we've been a part of each other's lives for as long as I can remember and over those years you have been my playmate, my best friend, my inspiration and my greatest challenge' she chuckled, causing Alison and the guests to chuckle too. Everyone was aware of how hard Emily had fought for Alison and the journey they had been on, but it just made this moment that much more romantic and endearing. The girls that had fallen in love when they were barely teenagers, had been through murders and disappearances, stalkers and police, yet had managed to still fight for each other and end up where they were now. There was no greater love story than theirs.  
'But most importantly, you are the love of my life and you make me happier than I could ever imagine and more loved than I ever thought possible. You have been there through the worst times in my life but also the best, and I feel truly blessed to be spending the rest of my life, with you by my side' Emily finished, tears flooding her eyes again as she felt the love she felt for Alison swell inside of her. As she looked into Alison's eyes, she could see that she too was filled with unshed tears. Alison knew that Emily loved her, but to hear those words from her mouth filled Alison with more emotion than she knew how to handle. She had never felt so honestly and irrevocably loved.

'Alison?' the Registrar prompted for her to follow with a smile. Alison felt a single tear fall from her eye as she blinked, she could almost hear Hanna shouting at her for ruining her mascara.  
'Well, how do I even follow that?' Alison replied with a soft laugh as she sniffed to stop the tears. The guests laughed alongside her and as Emily looked around to see them sitting around the two of them, she could see that many, including her Mom, were crying happy tears for them.  
'Emily, I remember once how I told you I did not believe in soul mates. I will never forget your reaction.' Alison started, tears still brimming in her eyes. She focused on Emily, thinking back to that day when they were Fifteen and carefree. Back when Alison was still trying so hard to resist the brunette with the beautiful smile who made her heart thud in a way like no other. Emily smiled as she also remembered that day, she had brought up the idea of soulmates because she was convinced that she and Alison were exactly that, and Alison had rebutted with a typical High School Ali response. Emily chuckled lightly at the memory that felt like a lifetime ago.  
'You were shocked and a little hurt that I did not think we were. But you were persistent and determined, and patient and hopeful. Over time, you made me believe. I promise to continue believing, because your belief makes the world a better place. I promise to encourage your compassion, because that is what makes you unique and wonderful. I promise to nurture your dreams, because through them your soul shines. I promise to you perfect love and perfect trust, because one lifetime with you could never be enough' Alison finished, and Emily felt as though her heart could burst open. The tears were streaming down her face now and Emily knew she wouldn't be able to stop them. She wanted to kiss Ali so badly, but knew she had to wait for those all-important words.

'It's just so fucking beautiful' they heard Hanna say far too loudly to Caleb, causing everyone to look and laugh. Hanna was sat in her seat at the front with Caleb and Ava either side of her or was practically bawling into a tissue. Emily giggled as she noted that Hanna's previously flawless make up was now running down her face.  
'Ladies, let's get this finished before your bridesmaid has a break down shall we?' the registrar joked.  
'Do you, Alison Lauren DiLaurentis take thee, Emily Catherine Fields to be your lawfully wedded Wife?'  
'I do' Alison choked through tears.  
'And do you Emily Catherine Fields take thee, Alison Lauren DiLaurentis to be your lawfully wedded Wife?'  
'A hundred times' Emily replied through her own tears.  
'Well then, I now pronounce you Mrs and Mrs DiLaurentis-Fields. You brides may now kiss each other'  
Emily could barely wait for those words to be said, she swooped in and attacked Alison's lips with her own, putting all the love in the world behind it. Alison sighed into the kiss, relief falling over her blissfully as she wrapped her arms around Emily's neck and let the kiss linger for as long was socially acceptable at a wedding. They surfaced to cheers from their guests, who were now on their feet. Lily and Grace came running from their seats to their Moms, who lifted them onto their hips.  
'That was like a real princess wedding!' Lily stated in awe, clapping her hands to her cheeks to emphasise her statement. Alison and Emily couldn't help but laugh. Emily placed a kiss to Lily's cheek and took Alison's hand, before they headed out through the guests, carrying their girls with them.

The rest of the wedding had been a blur. Emily and Alison barely had time to talk to each other, what with guests coming to congratulate them and trying to ensure that they spoke to everyone at the reception. Hanna had arranged for a DJ and a Bar to be set up along with rustic looking tables and a temporary dance floor. The benches from earlier were dotted around the edges for people to sit on.

They were now pretty far into the night and both Emily and Alison were feeling a little tipsy, having been handed drink after drink from their friends and family. Finally, they got a moment to spend together. Emily took Alison into her arms and looked deep into the eyes of her Wife.  
'Today has been the most amazing, magical day of my life' Emily said fondly as they swayed to the music.  
'Tell me about it. I knew that marrying you would feel amazing, but I never expected it to feel like this' Alison replied, before leaning up to close the gap, placing a soft, loving kiss to Emily's lips.  
'Uh guys, sorry to interrupt but we have to take you somewhere' Aria interrupted apologetically. Emily and Alison looked at each other in confusion before following the smaller woman away from the party and behind the cabins of the resort. They followed in silence, still wondering where on earth the tiny brunette could be taking them, when suddenly they rounded a corner and were met by Hanna, Caleb, Spencer, Toby and Ezra all standing in the darkness behind the Main Reception cabin.  
'Guys, what's going on?' Alison asked, beginning to feel a little scared. 'If this is anything to do with any A shit, I don't want to know. Nothing is going to ruin-'  
'No, no it's nothing A related' Spencer interrupted, not wanting to let Alison's mind go there for even a second. 'It's something good, I promise' With that being said, the five of them moved from the line they were standing in to reveal a large rock. Alison had to squint to see it properly, but she was sure it was-  
'Is that the kissing rock?' Emily asked as they moved closer to see it clearer. Sure enough, as they got closer, she could see the 'EF + AD' that Alison had spray painted on back in High School.

' _Look what I've got' Alison said, her voice hushed as she pulled a can of spray paint from her bag.  
'What are you going to do with that?' Emily asked. Alison never failed to surprise her but Emily had grown used to being caught off guard with the other girl, it made life exciting. Alison pulled the lid off and shook the can before holding it up to the rock. Emily watched as she sprayed a large EF and followed it with + AD.  
'Now our friendship will last forever' she stated with a large grin, turning to Emily to see her reaction. 'A long, long time from now, we'll be nothing but dust in the ground but people will still come here and see our initials on the rock and they'll wonder about who we were and the lives we lived' Alison said dreamily. The thought of their initials being a symbol of their relationship and that symbol lasting forever was so romantic to Emily. She leaned forward on the rock where she was sitting and placed a soft peck to Alison's lips, causing the blonde to smile in response.  
'I like the idea of us lasting forever on a rock' Emily finally said, looking through hooded lashes at Alison. 'It's romantic' she added as she bit the corner of her lip in arousal at the girl in front of her. Alison smirked at Emily's lustful eyes and leaned in to her again so their lips were almost touching.  
'It's not romantic, it's immortality my darling' she replied before closing the gap and pulling Emily into a heated kiss._

'How?' Alison managed to sputter out, too amazed to muster any more words.  
'Toby and I went and dug it out, we brought it back in his truck' Caleb half explained, scratching the back of his head nervously, though Emily figured the amount of alcohol he'd drank that night might have had something to do with his sloth-like behaviour.  
'Yeah, the girls were talking about the rock and how much that place meant to the two of you. We just wanted to do something nice' Toby added, his composure also a lot less pristine and controlled as it usually was.  
'Guys, that's so nice of you' Emily finally spoke, those tears from earlier filling her eyes again, though thinking about it, Emily presumed that again it was due to the alcohol she had on board. Emily and Alison looked over the rock, all the graffiti had been scrubbed from the surface, other than the prominent red initials of Emily and Alison, which looked as though they had been touched up slightly to make them stand out.  
'Toby's going to drop it to you guys tomorrow. You can decide where you want to out it, but it'll be yours forever now' Spencer said proudly, Emily guessed she was the only one who hadn't drank themselves silly today. Either that or she was incredibly resilient to the effects of alcohol.  
'Em, why are you staring at me?' Spencer asked, looking incredibly freaked out. Emily hadn't realised that she had been staring at the other woman intensely as she tried to wrap her drunken brain about Spencer's sobriety.  
'Sorry' she mumbled as she looked away, feeling embarrassed that she had been caught. Alison chuckled at her drunk wife, but also because she too was pretty drunk.

'Guys, I think I need to eat. Or throw up. Maybe both' Hanna announced as she walked to the nearest tree and threw up down the side of it, her hand supporting her against it.  
'And, I guess that's our cue to go home' Caleb announced. 'Thank you for a wonderful evening ladies, the wedding was beautiful' he added, kissing Alison and Emily on cheek before heading over to help a very intoxicated Hanna to the car.  
'I'll grab Ava for you and bring her the car' Ezra offered, following Caleb with a slight jog to catch up. Toby and Spencer looked on in amusement and Hanna pulled Caleb from side to side, while he tried to support her body weight.  
'You look really pretty when you smile' Aria said to Spencer before cuddling into her side, causing Alison, Emily, Toby and Spencer to all burst out laughing at the tiny, drunk girl.  
'Oh-kay little big one. Maybe it's bedtime for you too' Spencer suggested as she put her arm around the smaller girl and supported her weight.  
'Is she sleeping?' Toby asked in amazement.  
'Oh yeah, Aria's like, the best drunk sleeper in the world' Emily replied, exaggerating her words far more than she would have if sober.  
'Ok, I think maybe I should go round up the children and get everyone home' Spencer stated sensibly before dispensing the group.  
'Go find the little people' Toby yelled as he headed towards the remaining few who were winding down the party.

As they walked back towards the party area, Alison snuggled up to Emily's side and sighed happily.  
'I'm so glad I married you. And so incredibly drunk right now' Alison stated, stifling a yawn and Emily cuddled her into her side.  
'Me too' she replied simply, too drunk and tired to work out a coherent reply.  
For a first day as a married couple, Alison and Emily figured they'd had a good day. They had married the loves of their lives and gotten drunk with their friends and family. Plus, they got to see Hanna puke, which was always entertaining. All in all, they figured it was a pretty epic day.


	6. It All Falls Down

**Hey guys, it's me again! I hope you're enjoying the story up until now, for something that was supposed to be random fluffy one shots, I think it's turning into a pretty good story line! I'm trying to keep the chapters in consecutive order, I think it's flowing pretty well so I don't want to change that. Anyway, just a bit of context to this chapter. This was a very personal chapter for me to write, so it was really important for me to get it right and portray all of the characters emotions and feelings right. It is a very angsty chapter, but I put a few light** **hearted scenes in to break it up a bit. Anyway, I hope you like it!**

* * *

'Great stuff girls, keep it up now' Emily yelled over the sound of water splashing, as she cheered on the girls in the pool. 'Nice, Emma!' she called from the side of the pool, following the swimmers down the length of the pool. She watched as the pale, freckled girl reached the end of the pool, beating the other girls by a fraction.  
'Ok Ladies, nice work! Emma, your technique is awesome, it's really improving your times' Emily said as she made her way closer to the pool edge. 'Ok, that's all for today, hit the showers' she finished, before turning away. It had been a successful training session and Emily was feeling proud of her girls, they were really coming along and were responding well to her advice. Emily headed through the pool to her office and started typing up her notes on the girls' performances and times. She was a little over half way through when her door burst open, a worried looking Alison rushing through the door.  
'Hey babe' Emily greeted her with a smile, a smile that quickly dropped when she saw the look on her Wife's face. 'What's wrong?' she asked quickly.  
'Your Mom just called, Grace had a seizure and they're on their way to the hospital now' Alison replied, her words falling out of her mouth quickly. Fear washed over Emily as the words sunk in. She quickly saved her work and shut down her computer before rushing out of the office. The two women headed to Emily's car and drove to the hospital as quickly as they could.  
'Did she say what happened?' Emily asked Alison, her eyes not leaving the road as she focused on getting to her daughter.  
'No, I think she was too worried to talk, she just said to get to the hospital' Alison replied, her voice breaking a little as she tried to speak through the panic that was overwhelming her. She chewed on her thumb nail nervously as she stared out of the window, praying to every God she knew that her baby girl would be ok.

They ran through the doors of the hospital and straight to the desk, clutching each other's hands for comfort.  
'Hi, my daughter just got brought in in an Ambulance. Her name is Grace DiLaurentis-Fields' Emily stated quickly, eager to see her daughter. The receptionist's phone began to ring and she placed a finger up, silently telling them to hold before picking up the phone. Alison scoffed and rolled her eyes, her panic causing frustration and anger at the Receptionist, to build up inside of her.  
'Oh Hi, Becky!' She greeted with a happy smile as she nodded in agreement to whatever this 'Becky' girl was saying on the other end. Both Emily and Alison were beginning to grow angry at the Receptionist blatant lack of hospitality and respect. After what felt like a good five minutes, Alison was ready to snap, but it was Emily that snapped first. Alison watched with wide eyes as Emily reached across the desk and put her finger on the switch hook of the phone, causing the call to disconnect. The Receptionist shot an angry glare, but Emily's was fiercer and angrier.  
'I'm sorry, that call seemed important' Emily sniped sarcastically, 'But my Four year old daughter is in this hospital right now and I don't know what's wrong with her, so I really couldn't care less about who hooked up with who at the staff party last week, or what time your lunch is. Now either you tell me where my daughter is, or I will come over this counter and make you' Emily threatened, her jaw clenching in anger. Alison watched on, not sure if she was proud or scared of Emily's outburst. It was so unlike her wife, who was usually placid and calm in these sorts of situations, that Alison wasn't entirely sure how to react. The Receptionist's attitude seemed to change quickly though as she turned to her computer fairly rapidly and began to click on a few things.  
'Sorry, you said your daughter's name was Grace?' she trailed off, silently asking for the Surname. Though Emily's outburst had gotten the Receptionist to do her job, she also looked extremely pissed off about it.  
'DiLaurentis-Fields' Emily stated curtly, clearly in no mood to play nice. Alison placed her hand on the small of Emily's back and began rubbing small, gentle circles against the small of her back in an effort to calm her Wife.  
'Ok, Grace DiLaurentis-Fields. It says here she's just been moved to room 602 on the Children's Ward. It's in the left wing on the Sixth floor' she informed them. Emily and Alison practically ran from the desk without saying thank you, Emily's anger now replaced with that fear and panic that had previously been sitting heavily in her stomach.

They reached the Children's Ward and quickly found Grace's room. Pam was stood outside, pacing up and down with her hands clutched together and resting on her mouth, and tears streaming down her face, while Lily sat on a chair silently, fear and confusion etched on her little face. Emily's heart began to plummet as she saw her Mom, fearing the worst.  
'Mom?' Emily called questioning as she and Alison ran down the hall. The one worded question asked a thousand, but most importantly, was Grace ok? Lily got up from her chair when she saw her Mother's, and ran to Alison silently, who quickly lifted the tiny brunette from the ground and held her close.  
'I don't know what's happening. They're giving her fluids right now, but that's all I know. They wouldn't tell me anymore because I'm not her Guardian' Pam managed to explain through her tears. 'I'm so sorry' she wept, feeling guilty for the fact that this had happened while Grace had been in her care.  
Emily and Alison looked through the window of the room to see Grace lying on the bed, she looked as though she was sleeping. She was covered in wires and tubes, and two nurses stood either side attaching the biggest syringes they had seen, to the IVs attached to either of their girl's tiny arms, and were plunging the clear liquid into Grace before switching them for another. Alison counted them, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. She couldn't count anymore, it didn't seem possible. How could their tiny daughter have that much fluid pumped into her. Alison turned into Emily, who held Alison and Lily close to her, tears pricking her eyes and her heart breaking as she watched the nurses continuously pump more and more fluids into the tiny girl in the bed, who looked even tinier right now. Finally they attached a fluid bag to the girl and left the room.  
'What's happening?' Emily asked, practically attacking the nurses as they came out of the room.  
'She's stable, but let me get Dr Stevens for you. He can explain everything' the nurse replied politely with a small smile. Emily nodded in response and watched as the nurses walked away, before turning her attention back to her daughter.  
'Momma, is Grace ok?' Lily asked, her voice small and scared. Emily took a deep breath and blinked away her tears before turning on her happy, smiley face for Lily.  
'Yeah, she's going to be fine Lils. She just needs the Doctor to look after her right now but soon she'll be back home with us' Emily replied, her tears threatening to fall through her perfectly fake smile. As she said these words to Lily, she hoped to God that they were true.

'Mr and Mrs DiLaurentis-Fields?' a male Doctor called, looking down at his notes. Emily, Alison and Pam turned to the Doctor and Alison cleared her throat to get his attention. The Doctor looked up to see the three woman and child all looking at him.  
'Oh, sorry. Which one of you ladies is the Mother of this child?' he asked politely.  
'We are' Emily and Alison replied in unison, stepping forward to address the Doctor.  
'Oh, my apologies again. I'm Dr Stevens, your daughter's Paediatrician' he introduced himself, holding his hand out, which Emily shook with a nod.  
'Hi Dr Stevens. So can you tell us what's wrong with Grace?' Emily asked, wanting to stop the small talk and get down with the details.  
'Ok. Grace was brought in by an Ambulance at around 2:20 this afternoon after having a seizure. We have begun to conduct tests, including a body examination, during which we found a large purple rash on her legs. This rash, along with her other symptoms, is a clear sign to us that your daughter may have contracted Meningitis' Dr Stevens explained. His words began to wash over Emily, she felt like she was living in a dream world. No way could this be happening. Kids die from Meningitis. She'd seen the children on TV that had had limbs removed because of it.  
'We're unsure if it's Viral or Bacterial Meningitis at this point, but we have taken some blood and will have the results back from that within a few hours. In the meantime, we have her on a fluid IV and have given her a small dose of Tylenol to assist in reducing her fever'  
'Why isn't she awake?' Alison asked, while Emily remained silent, still trying to process what she had just been told.  
'It's perfectly normal. Sleep is the body's best way of healing. She may wake up for short periods of time, but she'll be very groggy and sleepy for a few days. It's nothing to worry about though' he assured. 'You can go in and sit with her if you like' he offered, leading the three ladies and Lily into the room. Emily rushed over to Grace's side and took her tiny, clammy hand into her own, while Alison stood back cautiously. Everything the Doctor had just said suddenly hit her the second she saw her baby girl in that bed. How had her life gone from marking papers in her classroom and thinking about what to cook for dinner this evening, to having one of her daughters lying in a hospital bed covered in tubes and fighting for her life. Alison looked on as Emily sat at Grace's bed side, Pam stood behind her with a supportive hand on her shoulder. Emily was freely letting the tears fall down her face and it was all Alison could do to not breakdown then and there, because there was nothing in the world she could do to make this better. She had so many emotions racing through her that she couldn't even begin to process them. It was almost suffocating, until it actually was. Alison felt her chest grow tight and it became harder to breath. The air felt light and suddenly Alison needed out. She gently dropped Lily to the floor before running out of the room, muttering an 'I'm Sorry' as she left.

Alison practically ran through the halls of the hospital, getting herself lost through the narrow halls. Her chest grew tighter and tighter until suddenly she couldn't move any longer. Alison gripped the wall for support as she slid down and hit the floor in a heap, her hand on her chest the whole time. 'Hey, are you ok?'  
Alison looked up at the sound of the voice above her to see it was a nurse. She tried to respond but couldn't. The nurse said something but Alison couldn't concentrate on what she was saying. The next thing she knew, the nurse was sticking a paper bag to her mouth and telling her to breathe. Alison did her best to comply and after a few deep breathes she felt her chest begin to loosen up. 'Ok, you're ok. You had a panic attack' the nurse explained. 'Just take deep breaths and try to calm down'  
'There you are. Are you ok sweetie?' Pam asked as she rounded the corner to see Alison slumped on the floor. The older Fields woman crouched down beside her and took her hand. She could only imagine how terrified Alison was, she herself was barely keeping it together but with both girls panicking, she knew she had to keep it together for them. Alison shook her head in response, wet tears falling down her face as Pam pulled her in and held her.  
'How could this happen?' Alison managed to sob. 'What if we lose her?'  
'She's young Ali, and she's strong. I know it's scary right now but she will get through this, she just needs you and Emily by her side' Pam hushed as she stroked Alison's hair for comfort. 'Plus, she might not share your DNA, but she definitely gets her stubbornness from you' Pam added with a chuckle, her own tears falling silently. 'And we all know that when a DiLaurentis makes up their mind, the stubbornness kicks in and nothing is going to change that' Alison chuckled sadly at this. Grace may not be her child biologically, but she was Alison's daughter through and through. Sometimes Alison watched her and prayed that she wouldn't turn out like her, but Emily often said she hoped for nothing else for their daughter, for that would mean she was both strong and stubborn, but also kind and caring and gentle.

Emily sat on a chair beside Grace's bed, Lily curled in her lap quietly. Emily knew that this must be all so confusing for the younger girl, so she had called Spencer and asked her to take her for the night. She needed to know that her other daughter was safe while she focused on Grace getting better. Emily heard footsteps and automatically looked up and tried to bottle up her anger when she saw a sheepish looking Alison walking through the door with her Mom. Emily tried to rationalise that this was how Alison handled tense situations sometimes, but she still couldn't ignore the fact that she had walked out of the hospital room where their daughter lay.  
'Em, I'm so sorry' Alison cried, seeing the flare of anger in Emily's eyes.  
'It's fine' Emily replied. She knew why Alison had felt the need to run, it was an old habit that she was trying to break and Emily herself was overwhelmed by the situation, but it still didn't stop the frustration. Regardless to how Alison running had made her feel, she didn't want to fight. Right now they needed to be united and strong for their daughter. 'Come here' Emily requested, holding out her free hand to Alison, who complied instantly and made her way across the room. Emily pulled Alison into her side and held her close. 'I know you're scared but we need to be strong' she stated, looking deep into Alison's red rimmed, blue eyes.  
'I know. I'm here, I promise' Alison replied, bending down to place a kiss to the top of Emily's head, which seemed to quell the fire in her stomach.

They took turns standing and sitting by Grace's bedside with Lily passing between both her Moms' and her Grandma's laps, seeking comfort in this confusing time. A gentle knock on the door disturbed the peace.  
'Hey guys' Spencer spoke quietly as she popped her head around the door before entering. She could almost feel her heart break as she caught sight of the tiny brunette, hidden beneath wires on the bed. When she had received Emily's call, she almost couldn't believe what she was being told. These were two healthy, happy children from a loving, happy family. These were two children that she had watched grow up and flourish with her own eyes. Two children she loved as though they were her own. The thought of one of them being so incredibly sick was unthinkable for Spencer, let alone the possibility of what this illness might do. Spencer couldn't even bring herself to think about that.  
'How's she doing?' she asked, as she made her way across the room and pulled a distraught looking Alison in for a hug.  
'The Doctor came by a little while ago, she's on fluids and antibiotics. They performed a lumbar puncture earlier this afternoon' Alison rambled, her mind unable to form a coherent sentence. 'I just want her to wake up Spence' Alison finished, tears forming in her eyes. Spencer had never seen her so incredibly broken, it was almost alarming for her to witness.  
'I know, Ali' was all she could reply as she cupped the shorter woman's cheek and brushed away an escaped tear. 'How are you holding up, Em?' Spencer asked, looking at the brunette who had been sitting silently, her eyes not moving from Grace.  
'As good as can be expected' she replied, flashing Spencer a sad smile before looking back at Grace. Emily held Grace's cold, little hand, her thumb brushing gently over the top of her delicate skin. Spencer gave back a half smile, not knowing what else to do. It wasn't often that Spencer was at a loss for words, but in this situation there really was nothing she could say.  
'So, I'll take Lily back with me. Me and Toby will watch her for as long as you need. Hanna and Aria have offered to help out too, they send their love' she added. 'If you guys need anything, even if it's just a shoulder to cry on, we're all here for you' she offered sincerely, catching Alison's eye to make her point.  
'Thanks' Alison replied with a small nod, before making her way over to Lily, who had fallen asleep on the chair in the corner. She gently woke the younger girl and lifted her from the chair, taking her place in it and pulling the girl in her lap.  
'Lily, Spencer is here to take you home with her for the night, ok?' she explained to her daughter, who was yawning from being woken up.  
'But I wanna stay with you' she replied sadly, her big, brown eyes that resembled Emily's so much, looking up at her, almost begging her not to make her leave. It took all Alison's strength to resist from giving in and holding her baby girl close and never letting her leave her side again, but Alison knew that a hospital was no place for a small child and they had no idea how long they would be there for.  
'I know baby' Alison replied, stroking Lily's hair for comfort, 'But Spencer is really looking forward to spending the night with you'  
'Yeah' Spencer joined in with her best cheerful voice as she crouched down in front of Lily, 'I was thinking we could go to the store and get Ice Cream, and candy and all the fun, sugary foods, then you can pick whatever movie you want to watch and me and you can snuggle on the couch. What d'ya say, munchkin? It's much better than hanging out in this stinky old hospital anyway' she added for good measure, wanting Lily to get excited and be happy in this time of sadness and worry. Spencer could see that Grace being sick and Alison and Emily being so worried was having an effect on the four year old, and though Lily was a pretty quiet child anyway, Spencer could see how she was struggling to handle it.  
'Ok. Can we watch Frozen?' she asked hesitantly, still trying to determine if this was a good deal or not.  
'Frozen? Ofcourse we can watch Frozen! It's only my favourite Princess movie ever' Spencer replied enthusiastically. In truth she couldn't stand the movie, but if Frozen was what it took to get this kid smiling again, then Spencer would put the damn dress and wig on and sing Let It Go at the top of her lungs if Lily wanted her to.  
'Ok, I'll come' Lily replied with a smile, happy that she was going to get to spend time with Spencer, eat candy and watch Frozen.  
'Kisses baby' Alison said as she pulled Lily in for a tight hug and pecked her on the lips. 'I love you'  
'Love you too Mommy' Lily replied before climbing down from Alison and heading over to Emily.  
'Momma' Lily called softly as she tapped Emily's leg to get her attention. Emily turned, a little startled from the sudden tapping, but she quickly plastered on that smile that was reserved especially for her daughters, even when she wasn't particularly in a smiling mood.  
'I'm going to Spencer's to watch Frozen and eat candy' She informed Emily with a smile, 'Kisses?' she asked before stepping up onto her tip-toes and puckering up for a kiss. Emily couldn't help but let out a small, genuine chuckle at her daughter, before she leaned down and gave Lily a kiss.  
'I love you, monkey' Emily said softly.  
'Love you too, Momma' Lily replied, before flicking her eyes up to the bed where she knew Grace was lying. 'Can I kiss Grace-y goodbye too?' she asked hesitantly. Lily wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but she knew that it was something to do with Grace and she wasn't sure if asking to kiss Grace would make her Moms mad or sad. Emily flicked her eyes at Grace on the bed, then back to Lily, unsure of what she should do. She looked to Alison for silent support, and her Wife jumped straight into action. Alison swooped Lily up in her arms and held her up by Grace's head.  
'You have to be real careful, ok' she warned Lily softly before moving her in closer so she was hovering over Grace's face. Lily puckered up and placed a soft kiss to Grace's forehead.  
'Night Night Grace-y' she whispered as Alison moved her back away and lowered her back to the floor. The four adults in the room felt lumps form in their throats at the scenario. Such an innocent statement from the four year old to her sister, yet the unintentional deepness behind it caught the four women off guard. None of them were unaware that this could very well be the last time Lily saw her twin sister, if she didn't survive this.

Lily and Spencer left the hospital not long after and ensuring she kept her promise to Lily, Spencer drove straight to the store and let the tiny brunette pick out whatever her heart desired. Spencer made sure to pick up a copy of Frozen before they headed home with bags of ice cream, chips and candy. Spencer couldn't keep her mind off of Grace, and the lost looks that Alison and Emily had permanently plastered on their faces. It was almost haunting, but she knew that she had to keep that to the back of her mind and focus on the other Fields-DiLaurentis girl.  
'Ok c'mere short stuff' Spencer said as she lifted Lily to sit on the kitchen counter. 'We are going to make a super special sundae' she said as she grabbed the candy and ice cream from the bag. Spencer leaned into the cupboard and pulled out two sundae glasses and two long handled spoons from the drawer, along with an ice cream scoop.  
'What's a super-' Lily started to repeat, but realised quickly that she couldn't remember what Spencer had called it 'What is that?' she started again, causing Spencer to chuckle at the adorable girl.  
'Let me show you' she replied with a wink. Spencer opened a bottle of chocolate syrup and squirted it around the inside of the sundae glass before opening the tub of Ice cream and scooping out several large scoops. Lily watched on with wide eyes at the sugary heaven Spencer was making. Spencer squirted more chocolate syrup onto the top of the ice cream and finished it off by opening several bags of chocolate candy and tossing small handfuls of each on the top. Lily was practically drooling at the sight of it by the time Spencer had finished.  
'Wow' was all the four year old could say.  
'Yeah, it's pretty awesome, huh?' Spencer replied with a smile. 'You know, Hanna actually showed me how to make this a long time ago' Spencer added as she handed Lily a spoon. Lily smiled as she took the large spoon and began to tuck in, with a little help from Spencer. They ate their ice cream and talked, Lily laughing at Spencer's goofiness and Spencer chuckling at Lily's adorable little personality. She really was a great kid, and Spencer hated that she had missed out on a lot of her life while she was away, but now that she was back for good she vowed to be there for everything.  
'Spencer, what's wrong with Grace-y?' Lily asked as she spooned out another scoop of her now semi-melted ice cream. Spencer took a spoon of her own and thought hard about how she should answer that question, since it wasn't really up to her what Lily should and shouldn't know. She took a deep breath and placed her sundae glass back on the counter beside Lily, before turning to face her, placing a hand each side of the little girl's hips.  
'Your sister isn't feeling very well right now, so your Mommy and Momma are there at the hospital with her so that the doctors and nurses can make her feel better' she explained, trying to be as vague as possible, but also wanting to honestly answer Lily's questions. Lily looked down at her legs, thinking about what Spencer had just told her.  
'Is that why she started shaking?' Lily asked, and Spencer could see the fear in her eyes. She hadn't realised that Lily had been there when Grace had had the seizure. It made sense to her why Lily had been quieter than her usual self.  
'Yeah, honey' Spencer replied, brushing a strand of hair out of Lily's eyes and tucking it behind her ear. She gave the four year old a sympathetic smile, it must have been so hard for her to understand all of this, but Spencer knew that Lily was a smart kid. She had started walking and talking way before most children do, and she was miles ahead of Grace when it came to potty training. She was a very observant child, and the fact that she could pick up on things but not understand them was what made things so confusing for her, and Spencer of all people knew what that was like. Being too smart for your own brain was a curse more than anything.  
'When will she be better?' she asked finally, looking up at Spencer. Spencer could see the tinge of sadness in her eyes and it Spencer couldn't help but be reminded of Emily. Everyone hated when Emily was sad, because her eyes would literally break your heart to see the sadness in them, but if Spencer thought it was tough seeing Emily sad, seeing Lily sad was a whole other ball game. Spencer blinked back her own tears that were forming and smiled sadly.  
'I don't know sweetie' she replied as she gently rubbed Lily's arm. 'But, what I do know is that when she comes home, she's going to want you to make her the best super special sundae in the world' she added. Spencer dipped her finger in the melted ice cream and tapped it onto Lily's nose, causing her to laugh hysterically.

'Mom you should go home and get some rest, there's nothing more you can do here tonight' Emily persisted, not wanting to have to keep her Mother in a hospital room all night, when there was nothing she could do to help. 'Plus, if you could pop by and grab some clothes for Lily and drop them at Spencer's, that would be great'  
'And her blanket, don't forget that' Alison added, knowing that without it Lily wouldn't sleep through the night and she didn't want Spencer to have any difficulties.  
'Ok girls, as long as you're sure you don't want me to stay here with you' Pam offered again, wanting to make sure that they would be ok without her. Emily was her daughter and it was her instinct to protect her daughter and be there for her in times of trouble, walking away and leaving her there didn't feel very supportive.  
'We're sure, Mom. Go get some rest, we'll see you in the morning' Emily assured her with a hug. As Pam left, Emily went and sat on the arm of the chair that Alison was sitting in beside the bed, putting her arm around her Wife. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Emily holding Alison and Alison holding Grace's hand. The atmosphere had settled through the earlier flurry of panic and fear, and as night had begun to fall, peace had begun to descend upon the hospital.  
'She looks like she's sleeping' Alison finally broke the silence. They had been told earlier in the day that Grace wouldn't wake, at least not fully, for at least a few days. He had stated that her body was putting so much energy into fighting the disease, that it had left her weak and so she was effectively unconscious.  
'Yeah, it's almost like you could forget-' Emily started, but was unable to finish the sentence.  
'Yeah, almost' Alison replied, knowing exactly what Emily was going to say and why she was unable to finish the sentence. Emily caught sight of movement from the bed and her head whipped round so quick, she was sure she'd given herself whiplash. Grace stirred and her eyes fluttered open, causing Emily and Alison to jump up from the chair and move to the side of the bed.  
'Grace, wake up baby' Emily urged softly, brushing sweaty hear from her clammy forehead. Grace looked up at her Moms for a second, before her eyes closed again. Alison felt as though her heart was breaking all over again. She turned away from the bed and began to sob. Emily turned and wrapped her arms around her Wife, holding her close as her own tears fell silently.  
'What if she doesn't wake up, Em?' Alison asked through broken sobs, as she clung to Emily. Emily closed her eyes, not even wanting to think about that possibility.  
'She will. She's a fighter' she replied quietly as she stroked Alison's hair and placed a kiss to the side of her head.

'I just can't believe it. Poor Em and Ali' Hanna muttered, for what Spencer thought must be the tenth time already as they sat on the sofa's, coffee in their hands and all at a loss for words. The fact that even Hanna could only muster up those few words, was a testament to how much of a shock this had been to them all.  
'Yeah. They must be terrified, I don't know what I'd do if that were Sawyer' Aria added, the thought sending a shiver down her spine.  
'You guys should have seen them at the hospital, it was awful. I don't ever want to see that look on their faces again. I've never seen Ali look so broken' Spencer stated as she cupped her hands around her coffee cup. 'Even Lily's struggling. She doesn't know exactly what's happening, but she can sense that it's not ok and she's asking a lot of questions that I can't answer'  
'Well, kids are perceptive. They pick up on stress' Aria replied. 'I guess all you can do is answer her questions the best you can and try not to say too much'  
'God, I just. I _still_ can't wrap my head around this' Hanna said again, causing Spencer to roll her eyes. Footsteps came from the hall, causing Spencer to look in the direction of the living room door. It opened to reveal Lily, who armed with her blanket, had tears rolling down her cheeks. She toddled into the living room and the three women on the sofa's could feel their heart's sink at the sight of her.  
'What's up, sweetie?' Aria asked as she made her way across the living room to scoop the girl up in her arms.  
'I want Momma' Lily cried, her breath catching as she sobbed into Aria's cardigan.  
'I know honey, but we'll see your Momma tomorrow, ok?' Aria replied, placing a kiss to Lily's wet cheek, before rubbing away the tears that sat there.  
'But I want her now' Lily sobbed harder as she clung to Aria. Lily's usually olive toned face was now glowing red from her crying, and Spencer worried that she might have a distraught little girl for the next few days. Ice Cream and Frozen would only distract her for so long, after all.  
'Hey, Lily. Come here, Ladybug' Hanna called, holding her arms out for Lily to come to. Lily tearfully crawled across the couch from Aria to Hanna and settled in her arms. 'I know what will make you happy' Hanna beamed, as she grabbed the controller for the TV and pushed the play button for the DVD player. The opening music for Frozen played through the living room and while Aria and Spencer groaned, Lily's tears stopped and Hanna beamed as they watched the men dig the ice. Hanna sang along, making goofy voices and pulling funny faces to make Lily giggle, and Spencer found herself admitting again that she would join in in a heartbeat to keep that kid happy. Tough she made a mental note to seriously re-educate the girls on their choice in Disney movies. There was much better out there, Frozen was just one movie at the bottom of a very large barrel.

Emily and Alison lay squeezed together on a guest cot that was barely big enough for one of them, let alone the both of them. Emily lay on her back, while Alison lay snuggled into her side. Emily lay looking at the ceiling, her mind too active to sleep, while Alison had drifted off not long ago herself. Emily thought back to all the fun she had had with the girls. From the moment they were born, Emily had fallen unconditionally in love with them and as they grew in size and developed their own personalities and quirks, they grew in her heart. When she had first been told that they were having twins, Emily had been more than a little anxious about it, and it was more than difficult handling two babies, but Emily couldn't imagine it any other way. She couldn't imagine Lily and Grace not being together. Emily gently pulled herself out from beneath Alison and walked to the bed. She perched herself on the edge and took Grace's hand into her own.  
'Please get better, baby girl' she whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek. In that moment, with her daughter's hand in hers, Emily did something that she hadn't done for a long time. She prayed to a god that she wasn't sure she believed in, for her daughter that she loved.

'Mommy!' Lily cried as she ran into the hospital room. It had been a long four days since Grace had gotten rushed in to hospital, but it seemed they had caught the disease early on, as she was making a quick recovery. After two full days of sleep, Grace woke on the third day and was practically begging for food. The Doctor had said that the disease was under control and she'd need daily doses of antibiotics, but as long as she was eating and drinking enough, he was happy to let her go home in a few days and would send a nurse out to her daily for her antibiotics to be administered. Lily had stayed with Hanna for the night, and the young DiLaurentis-Fields had been away from her parents for far too long, which was making her a little angsty. So much so that the girl who was usually placid and had all of Emily's softer traits, had turned from her usual angelic self to being on par with High School Ali, and Hanna couldn't help but be a little scared by her.  
'Hey baby girl' Alison replied enthusiastically, catching the four year old as she ran through the door and into her arms. 'How are you, Miss Thing? I've missed you!' she gushed as she peppered the girl with kisses.  
'I missed you too Mommy' Lily replied as she giggled in Alison's arms. Hanna couldn't help but roll her eyes. Lily had quit her innocent and quiet act at 6am that morning, and had continued her evil, Ali streak up until she ran through the door to her Moms. Lily saw that Grace was awake and went running to the bed, pulling herself up onto it to hug her sister, who was now no longer covered in tubes or wires, except the one small one in her hand for her antibiotics to be fed into. Emily laughed as Lily struggled to jump up, and eventually lifted her up onto it.  
'So how was she?' Alison asked Hanna, as Emily turned to listen, still standing by the bed to keep an eye on the girls, who were now hugging and talking.  
'Oh she was great, up until she went from Mini-Emily to Mini-Ali overnight' Hanna replied, looking less than impressed that she'd been taken down verbally by a four year old.  
'What? Lily is nothing like me' Alison laughed.  
'Oh trust me, I think by the time she gets to High School, she'll be worse than you, if that was ever possible' Hanna bit back. 'I told her we didn't have any Fruit Loops for breakfast and she looked at me like she was trying to telepathically bore satanic symbols into my brain. Honestly, it gave me huge High School Ali Flashbacks, and it creeped the hell out of me' Hanna finished as she side-eyed Lily.

Emily had been listening from her side and as she listened to Hanna with an eyebrow raised, she looked down at her sweet, innocent daughter. She knew that Lily could have a temper on her when she really wanted, but it wasn't often and she wasn't the type of child who would say something mean to someone.  
'Hey, Lils' she started to get her attention. 'Was you mean to Hanna?' she asked casually. Lily's eyes went wide and her face went from smiling to blatantly guilty instantly.  
'See! Stick a blonde wig on her and a crop top, and she's Ali at Fourteen!' Hanna half shouted. Alison couldn't help but laugh at the situation.  
'I can't believe you got scared by a four year old' Alison laughed, knowing full well that she'd have to talk her daughter about this later on. As funny as it was, Alison didn't want her girls to grow up behaving the way she had.

Grace stayed in the hospital for two more days before the Doctor released her. It had been a long week, and they still had further to go before Grace was recovered, but things were looking up. Alison and Emily had never been so glad to be going home, and after a week of their daughter's being separated, it was nice to have the two of them back together.  
'That's my toy, Lily!' Grace yelled from the back of the car, as she snatched a toy from Lily's hands. Emily and Alison waited for the usual cry from Lily, but it didn't come.  
'Ok Grace, but only because you was in the Hospital' Lily replied, smiling at her sister before placing a kiss on her bandaged hand where the IV was still placed for the antibiotic injections. Emily and Alison looked at each other with raised eyebrows and gave each other a silent look that said, 'I wonder how long the peace will last?' as they both knew that at some point, havoc would ensue again, and life would go back to normal. Emily, for one, couldn't wait for normal. She would even welcome the arguments and fights, she was just glad that both of her girls were happy and healthy again.


	7. Troublemaker

**Hi guys, so first of all I want to say thank you to each and every one of you that has commented, followed and favourited this story. It means the absolute world to me that you're all enjoying it as much as I am writing it! Please, keep your comments coming, I love reading them!**

 **So, I was actually writing another chapter when someone sent me the prompt for this one, so thank you to EmilyLovesAlison for the prompt! The next chapter is ready and waiting to be posted, I just need to edit it so I wont leave you waiting too long for that.**

 **This chapter has some really cute scenes in, and there's more Spencer/Twins interactions, which I am loving! Auntie Spence is great with the girls, don't you think? Let me know if there's any other characters that you'd like to see more of. I'm trying to weave Aria in a bit more, but I find her hard to write for some reason. Also, more Hanna, because she's hilarious. I want to write things that you want to see, so let me know what you want! Do you want happy or sad or angsty? Maybe something M-Rated? Let me know!**

 **Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

'Ok boys and girls, today we're going to be learning about colours' the teacher said happily to the small group of children who were sat at the table in front of her. The room was full of screaming children and Grace looked around her as children played different games around the room. One group of children were splashing in the water, another two children were playing knights and using swords built from Lego to fight with each other. Grace wanted to join in with the fun, but instead she was sat at this table. She looked down at the piece of paper in front of her, eager to get moving and do something. Grace picked up a paint brush and dunked it into the paint pot in front of her. She put it onto the paper squishing it and plopping it and flicking it.  
'Grace, I didn't say that you could paint just yet' Polly, the Kindergarten teacher, scolded. Polly took the paintbrush away and placed it back in the paint pot. Grace crossed her arms and scowled at Polly. Polly was always ruining her fun. So, Grace decided that she was going to find fun somewhere else. She got up from the table and ran across the room, knocking another little girl over on her way, causing her to cry.  
'Grace DiLaurentis-Fields, come back here!' Amy, the other Kindergarten teacher, shouted across the room. The room suddenly went silent and all the children stopped what they were doing to watch. Grace felt her cheeks burning red as twenty sets of eyes stared at her, and she pouted as she slowly walked over to Amy.  
Do we run in this classroom?' Amy asked, her voice still raised. Grace didn't like Amy either, she was always telling her off. Grace shook her head in response, her eyes narrowed as she gave Amy that DiLaurentis scowl she had learned from her Mom.  
'And do we push our friends?' she continued. Again, Grace shook her head. She didn't want to speak to Amy. Amy was not her friend.  
'Then I suggest you slow down while we're inside, and you apologise to poor Taylor for pushing her over'

Grace silently walked over to Taylor, the little girl she had knocked over, and stroked her arm.  
'Sorry' she mumbled.  
'Ok, now please be a good girl. I want to tell your Mommies good things today' she emphasised. As Amy walked away and the room went back to business, Grace watched as Lily painted with the rest of the group at the table she had just left.  
'Good job Lily, you're mixing your colours so well!' Polly praised her with a smile. Lily didn't ever get told off, only Grace. Grace headed over to the book corner and sat on a cushion, where she watched as the room moved on around her.

'Girls, dinner's ready!' Alison called as she placed the dinner plates onto the table. Grace and Lily came rushing in from the living room. Grace accidentally bumped the table as she ran into the room, causing a glass of water to topple over and onto the floor with a smash.  
'Grace! Would you watch what you're doing?' Alison shouted in frustration. Though Alison and Emily tried their hardest not to shout at the girls, Alison struggled with it more than her wife, and after spending the day with rebellious hormonal teenagers, Alison was already at breaking point. She instantly felt guilty for snapping at her 5 year old daughter, but it seemed that Grace was constantly getting herself into trouble. Alison hadn't been surprised when she had picked the girls up from Pam a few hours ago, and the older woman had informed her that Grace had gotten in trouble again today. Alison rushed over to start picking up the pieces of glass from the floor as Grace stood in place, anger rising up inside of her. She watched as perfect Lily sat perfectly in her seat with no one telling her off.  
'Grace, can you sit at the table and eat your dinner please?' Alison sighed as she continued to pick up the glass that Grace had broken.  
'No!' Grace shouted back in defiance. Alison closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying so hard not to shout at Grace again, but her daughter was really testing her patience and Alison wished that Emily was home to handle this.  
'Grace, I'm only going to ask you this one more time' Alison said calmly, her eyes firmly closed as she spoke. 'Sit at the table'  
'No, I'm not sitting at the table' Grace shouted back again. She could feel Lily's eyes on her and Grace knew that she was pushing the wrong Mom, but her anger was getting the best of her and she couldn't control it. She didn't understand why everyone yelled at her all the time, but never at Lily. Did everyone love Lily more than they loved her?  
'For crying out loud, Grace! You're really pushing me here, now sit at the damn table!' Alison shouted, unable to keep her tamper in any longer. She stood up, ready to put Grace on the chair herself.  
'No! I hate you!' Grace shouted, hot angry tears spilling down from her eyes, as she turned on her heels and ran through the house and out of the front door. The fire inside of Alison was instantly put out at those words. She followed Grace but her daughter was fast for a child, and by the time Alison reached the front porch, her daughter was nowhere to be seen.

Alison stood on the porch in shock. What had she done? She had never shouted at Grace like that before, and now her little girl was gone. How was she supposed to tell Emily that she had made their daughter run away? Alison pulled her phone from her back pocket and hit Emily's name in her phonebook to call her.  
'Hey babe, I'm just leaving the school now. Sorry I'm so late, but I'll be home soon' Emily rambled through the phone, the stress in her voice evident. She had stayed late at the school to deal with a situation regarding one of the girls on her swim team taking performance enhancing drugs to improve her times.  
'Babe, Grace is gone' Alison blurted through the phone, causing Emily to stop in her tracks as she put the keys into the car lock.  
'What do you mean she's gone?' she asked, needing more information. How could a five year old just be gone?  
'I yelled at her, I know I shouldn't have but she pushed me, and she ran out the door and now she's gone' Alison replied, her voice wavering as she tried to keep calm. Emily felt the panic rise in her throat at the thought of her daughter being out there on her own.  
'Ok, stay at home, I'll go look for her' Emily said as she got a plan together in her head. She jumped into her car and spun out of the parking lot in search for her daughter.

Grace ran until her legs grew tired, and then she walked for what felt like miles. She only had little legs, but she had made some distance. She wasn't entirely sure where she was headed, but when she reached the park, she knew roughly where she was. She had been here plenty of times with Lily and her Moms. She walked the vaguely familiar paths and watched as people walked by with their dogs on leads and others cycled by on their bikes. If she had been older and more aware of the world, she would have been alarmed at the fact that nobody had stopped to check on the five year old wandering around the park alone so late in the evening. Grace walked until she reached her favourite part of the park, the lake. She loved feeding the ducks, and she was mesmerised by the water. She liked it when the light bounced off and made it look like it was glittering. Grace lifted herself up onto the bench and sat for a while, resting her tired legs. Grace wasn't sure how long she had sat there for, but the sky began to grow dark and she was beginning to feel sleepy. She wondered if she should go home, but the thought of going home made her angry again. Plus, she wasn't entirely sure how to get home, even if she wanted to. Grace began to grow scared, what if she was stuck here all night? She was beginning to grow frightened and she missed her Moms. She watched as a baby duck followed its Mommy duck and she wished for a second that she could be a duck. Then she could fly home and everything would be ok.

'Grace?' came a familiar voice. Grace scooted herself around on the bench and peered over the back to see Spencer, dressed in jogging clothes and one ear-piece in her ear, the other in her hand. Grace could hear the faint music blasting out of it.  
'What are you doing here? Are either of your Moms here with you?' Spencer asked as she made her way over to the bench where Grace was sitting. Grace shook her head in response, scared that she was going to get in trouble. Spencer's eyes widened when Grace confirmed that she was alone. Spencer took a minute to process the information, realising that something must have happened for Grace to be here on her own.  
'Can I sit with you?' Spencer asked as she signalled to the bench. Grace thought for a second before nodding. Spencer didn't seem angry and if she had been sent by her Moms, then she would have called them already.  
'Ok' Grace replied as she scooted back from her knees and sat on the bench. Spencer nodded and sat beside Grace, removing her other earphone from her ear. The two sat in silence before Spencer finally spoke up again.  
'So, short stuff. You gonna tell me why you're out here alone?' Spencer asked, tilting her head to the side a little as she looked at Grace. She noticed that Grace had been crying, her eyes pink and swollen from where she had rubbed them and her cheeks were stained with dried tears. Spencer wondered how she always seemed to get tangled up in the tears of a DiLaurentis-Fields.  
'Mommy yelled at me' she explained simply. Spencer nodded in understanding, wanting to gain Grace's trust so that she didn't run again, figuring out what had happened in her head.  
'You're Mom used to yell at me too. It sucks' Spencer quipped in response.  
'Yeah' Grace replied sadly as she stared out at the duck pond.  
'Why did she yell at you?' Spencer asked, wanting to keep the young DiLaurentis-Fields talking. She knew she would have to call Emily or Alison, but she figured she should make sure Grace was ok beforehand.  
'Because Mommy always yells. Everyone yells. But they don't yell at Lily because they love her more than me' Grace explained sadly. Spencer's face fell a little at this. Her heart hurt at the words Grace was saying.  
'Grace, you know that's not true. We all love you so much, especially your Moms' she replied, placing a comforting hand on Grace's back. 'Hey, why dont we go back to my house, huh? We can get something to eat, you must be hungry?' Spencer offered, wanting to get the girl back to a safe place without scaring her too much and if she knew her DiLaurentis-Fields girls, she knew that food was the way forward. Grace nodded, she was hungry. She really wished she had eaten her dinner when her Mom had told her to.  
'C'mon, we'll grab a Pizza on the way' Spencer said as she took Grace's hand and walked with her back to the car, taking her phone out to send Emily a quick text.

Emily heard her phone beep beside her. She pulled over to check it, hoping it was from Alison to say that Grace was back at home. When she saw it was from Spencer, she almost ignored it, but when she saw Grace's name in the preview of the message on her screen, she fumbled with her phone as she tried to quickly open it up.

 _Hey, I found Grace in the park. She's with me and we're heading to my house. She's ok x_

Emily let out a sigh of relief and called Alison.  
'Did you find her?' Alison asked, panic evident in her voice.  
'No, Spencer found her at the park. They're back at her house now. Will you drop Lily with my Mom and come over? I think we need to have a talk with her' Emily explained, feeling worried about her daughter's actions. Grace had never acted out in this was before and they needed get to the bottom of it before her behaviour got worse.  
'Ok, I'll see you at Spencer's in ten' Alison replied before hanging up the phone. Relief flooded through her that Grace was in safe hands, but she was also concerned about her daughter and what had caused her to run the way she did. Alison couldn't help but feel that maybe Grace was inheriting her old coping mechanism.

Spencer and Grace sat on the couch, the young girl eating a slice of pizza that Spencer was sure was bigger than her. She had hardly said a word since they had left the park, but her previous statement still stuck with Spencer. She couldn't get her head around why Grace would feel the way she felt, when Emily and Alison were the most loving parents a child could ask for. Alison DiLaurentis didn't exactly have the best reputation for showing her love to people, Spencer was sure that Alison would be the first to admit it, but when it came to her children, Alison was all for the kisses and cuddles, and wanted nothing more than for her children to be happy, healthy and loved. This was the woman who had sat up for two nights straight when the twins were teething, just to keep a check on their temperatures. The woman who, just a few months ago, refused to leave Grace's bedside when the young girl had Meningitis. Alison was nothing but fiercely protective of her girls, and in Spencer's mind, the twins couldn't ask for a better Mother.

Alison and Emily let themselves into Spencer's barn, practically running to see their girl.  
'Grace, god I'm so glad you're ok' Alison cried, reaching forward to grab her daughter up from the couch and into a big hug. Grace didn't fight it, letting Alison lift her into the air. She wrapped her tiny arms around her Alison's neck, feeling safe in the comfort of her Mother's arms.  
'I wont run away again Mommy, I promise' Grace said quietly, the anger she had been feeling previously had disappeared completely now and suddenly she felt little embarrassed that she had acted out the way she had. Emily placed her hand on Grace's back and leaned in to place a kiss on her head.  
'We're glad to hear that, sweetie' Emily replied with a small smile.

'Em, Ali. Can I talk to you guys for a second?' Spencer as softly, not wanting to disturb the peace in the room. The two women nodded and Alison placed Grace back on the sofa, before they headed over to Spencer's kitchen area, Emily grabbing a slice of Pizza on the way.  
'What's up?' Emily asked curiously as she took a bite out of the pizza.  
'I just thought you guys should know that when I found Grace, I started talking to her and she was telling me why she ran away. She said something about everyone loving Lily more than her. I mean, I don't know if she just said it because she was upset, but I figured you should know about it' Spencer explained in a hushed voice as she flicked her eyes up to check on Grace. Emily and Alison didn't know what to say in response to this. Their little girl was feeling unloved, and they were responsible for that. They both looked over to Grace, who was sitting quietly on the couch, before heading back over. Emily took a seat on the coffee table while Alison stood beside her.  
'Grace, why did you run out on Mommy today?' Emily asked softly. Grace looked up at her Moms and shrugged her shoulders.  
'Well, there must be a reason?' Emily asked again, gently pushing for her daughter to open up. They sat in silence for a minute while Grace thought about what her Mom was asking her.  
'I ran because Mommy made me sad' Grace replied finally, her voice filled with sadness. Alison had to look away from her daughter, feeling guilty for being the reason her daughter had runaway.  
'I'm sorry I made you sad, Grace. I shouldn't have yelled at you' Alison said, looking back at her daughter to show that she was being sincere.  
'So is that all? You were sad so you ran away?' Emily asked, wanting Grace to tell her what she had said to Spencer. Grace nodded slowly, unsure of what her Mother was trying to get her to say.  
'Grace, you know Mommy and I love you, right?' Emily asked, narrowing her eyes slightly as she tried to get a read on her daughter. She placed her hand on Grace's leg, wanting to offer her daughter some comfort in some way.  
'Love you too, Momma' Grace replied as she looked down at her hands. Emily looked up to Alison, seeing that they both shared that same worried expression. Something was wrong with their daughter and they needed to get to the bottom of it. Alison watched as Emily and Grace both took big bites out of their pizza slices. She had always thought it amazing how alike they were, but this was just hilarious to Alison, noting how they even poked their tongue out the same way then the melted cheese fell down onto their chins.

Emily and Alison had spent days trying to get Grace to talk, but the more they pushed the more she closed up. Each day, they took it in turns to leave work a little early and pick the girls up from Kindergarten, and each day Grace's teacher said that she had pushed another child or had squirted paint over the floor. They were starting to wonder if maybe there was something they were doing wrong. In desperation, they made an appointment to speak with one of the Kindergarten teacher's for advice.  
'Hi Emily, Hi Alison' Amy shook their hands as she greeted them. 'So, what can I help you with?' she asked with a wide smile. Alison had always had a bad vibe from this woman whenever she picked the girls up, but Emily said that she was just being over friendly and was nothing to worry about. Right now, she was creeping the hell out of Alison.  
'Yeah, we just have a few concerns about Grace and we were wondering how she's doing at school' Emily explained, looking to Alison for agreement. Alison however, was staring Amy down with her eyes narrowed, trying to get a read on her and Emily knew just by looking at her wife exactly what was going through her mind. Emily placed her hand on Alison's knee in an effort to calm her.  
'Yes, Grace is a very…lively character' Amy said, clearly being careful with the words she used. Alison got the feeling that Amy didn't care for Grace at all, and anyone who disliked her baby had to deal with her. 'She's very different to Lily' Amy said with a fake laugh, as if to show she was joking, though Alison and Emily could both clearly see that she favoured Lily over Grace. They were starting to wonder if that was part of the problem.  
'How is her behaviour at school?' Emily asked, as she squeezed Alison's leg a little tighter, both to keep Alison from launching herself at Amy and also to stop herself from giving the woman a piece of her mind.  
'Her behaviour is… concerning to be frank. Grace lacks focus and attention, she never stops running or moving, even during carpet time she fidgets. Honestly, in my professional opinion, she's showing all the classic signs of a child with ADHD' Amy said, giving them what Emily deemed to be her attempt at a sympathetic smile. Alison scoffed and rolled her eyes and Emily knew that even she couldn't stop her wife from lashing out at Amy.  
'Please, you obviously have a problem with my daughter' Alison started. 'Sure, she might be a little energetic and yes, she is very different to Lily, but what you fail to see, because you're a small minded, clearly uneducated and quite frankly a disgrace to your profession, is that both of my daughters are incredibly unique and special. Just because they differ, and Grace has more energy than Lily, does not mean that she needs to be medicated and like hell am I going to let you, or anyone else for that matter, label my daughter as some sort of 'special case' child who needs drugs to help them through life' Alison spat. Emily was actually quite impressed; Alison seemed to have held back a little. Amy sat in silence, clearly stunned by Alison's outburst.  
'Well, Miss DiLaurentis, I think that's a little uncalled for' she replied, clearly in shock, 'I was simply-'  
'First of all, it's Mrs DiLaurentis-Fields. I am married to this lovely lady beside me' Alison corrected the woman, despising her even more at her blatant attempt to ignore the fact that she and Emily were married. 'And Second of all, what you were doing was stating that my child has some sort of a condition because she behaves and acts in a way that you seem to feel inappropriate for a young girl. Let me ask you something, would you be saying these things if Grace were a boy?' Alison asked, cocking here eyebrow challengingly.  
'Well, you see boys and girls behave in very-'  
'So no, you wouldn't be having this conversation with us if our daughter was actually our son' Alison interrupted again. 'So not only are you uneducated and small minded, but you're also hugely sexist and after today's discussion, I'm also gathering maybe a little homophobic. To be frank, Amy, it's in my professional opinion that you're a type A asshole, who gets a thrill out of bullying children' Alison finished. So much for holding back, Emily thought to herself. Alison smiled her high school bitch smile at Amy and grabbed Emily's hand, leading her out the door without a goodbye.

As they walked to the car, or rather Alison ran to the car dragging Emily behind her, Emily thought over what had just happened and how they were most likely going to have to change their daughter's school.  
'I know, I should have held my temper' Alison started to apologise as they got into the car and began to buckle up. 'But, how dare she insinuate that there's something wrong with our daughter!?'  
'I wasn't going to say anything' Emily replied, holding her hands up in defence. 'Except that maybe we need to find our girls a new school' Emily added. She was proud of Alison for sticking up for their daughter, if there was ever a good reason for her to lose her temper, this was it. She couldn't help wonder though if maybe Amy had a point. What if Grace did have a condition and they ignored it? She wasn't entirely sure how to broach the subject without pissing off her wife, though. She thought about the situation the whole drive home. Not in a million years did Emily think that there was something wrong with their daughter, but she had seen kids with ADHD and there were similarities between them and Grace.

'Hey Mom' Emily greeted as she entered the door to the house she had grown up in, though it felt strangely empty now compared to when she had lived here.  
'Hi sweetie, I wasn't expecting you!' Pam replied with a smile as she placed her book down on the arm of the couch and got up to give her daughter a hug.  
'No, well I wasn't planning on coming over but I needed to talk to you about something' Emily started to explain vaguely. She sat herself on the sofa with her Mom and sighed.  
'What's on your mind, honey?' Pam asked, sensing that Emily was conflicted with something.  
'Grace' she replied honestly. 'Her teacher says she's showing signs of ADHD, but she also seemed really biased, like she didn't like Grace so was trying to put a label on her. I just don't know what to think. I mean, I've seen how kids with ADHD act and sure, Grace has some similarities, but she's not one of those kids that can't focus on things' Emily explained. 'I just don't want to put a label on her for the rest of her life. People will do that enough for her as she gets older' Pam could see how conflicted her daughter was and she wished she could help her make a decision on this problem.  
'Honey, I wish I could tell you what to do but I can't' she admitted with a sympathetic smile. 'What I can tell you though, is that Grace is no different to how you were at her age. In fact, whenever I'm with her, it's like I have five year old you here all over again' she chuckled.

' _Mrs Fields! Could I have a word please?' the teacher called across the school yard, waving an arm in the air. Pam turned and walked back over to her, her perfect smile in place.  
'Hi, Mrs Chaplain' she greeted, her hand holding tightly onto Emily's as she tried to get away. The five year old wanted to run and play, not stand and listen to adults talk.  
''Hi, I just wanted to have a quick word with you about Emily' Mrs Chaplain explained.  
'Oh?' Pam questioned, wondering what on earth her daughter had possibly gotten up to today.  
'It's just, Emily is struggling to focus on the activities we set throughout the day. She's finding it difficult to sit at the table for long periods of time and I was just a little concerned, as most children at this age tend to be able to follow simple instructions by now' Mrs Chaplain explained. Pam began to worry that she was saying something was wrong with her daughter.  
'Ok well, if there's anything I can do then I'm happy to hear your suggestions' she replied. Pam wanted to be the best mother she could possibly be, and if there was something wrong with Emily then she wanted to fix it while she was young.  
_

' _There's nothing wrong with her, Pam' Wayne disagreed as he paced back and forth in front of his Wife, who was sat anxiously on the sofa.  
'But her teacher said-'  
'Her teacher is not a Doctor' Wayne interrupted, stopping in his place. He didn't want Pam to be worried but he was sure that there was nothing wrong with his daughter. 'She's a kid, kids run and play and fight. Sure, some do it more than others, but ultimately it's what they do. She'll grow out of it' he assured his wife, who still seemed on edge.  
'You're sure?' she asked, needing reassurance from her Husband. Wayne walked over and sat beside Pam, taking her into his arms as they leaned back into the sofa.  
'Look, even if she does have extra energy she needs to bur off, it's easily solved. We'll get her a hobby, a sport of some sort to burn the energy off of her. She doesn't need a Doctor' he said, a finality to his tone. _

_They spent many weekends trying different sports and activities for Emily to do, from dancing and gymnastics to soccer and track running. Emily didn't seem to take to any of them, until Wayne introduced her to swimming.  
_

'The first time you got in a pool, you took to the water like a fish. Your dad was so proud of you. Every weekend he'd come back and give me a running commentary of every stroke and every kick' Pam gushed, remembering back to the smile on her husband's face.  
'Really? All these years I've been swimming, and I didn't know that was how it all started' Emily said in wonder. 'Did it work?'  
'Oh yeah. Whenever you were extra energetic, we'd take you to the pool, by the time you got out and were home, you'd fall asleep. Eventually you learned to channel your energy into your swimming, and you were so calm and focused the rest of the time, it was like you were a completely different child' Pam replied proudly. Emily couldn't help but wonder if maybe it would work with Grace.

'So, what's this great idea of yours?' Alison asked with a smile. Emily had seemed so excited when she got home, she had practically pounced on Alison the second she walked through the door. Alison found it cute, the way Emily bounced on her toes like a child.  
'So, I was talking to my Mom' Emily started, 'And she was saying that I was exactly like Grace when I was her age' Alison laughed, of course her placid, well-mannered wife had been a crazy child.  
'Ok, so what did they do to give you a personality transplant?' she asked, still chuckling at the thought of Emily being as energetic and crazy as their daughter.  
'Swimming' Emily replied with a toothy grin. 'I think I'm going to see if it works for Grace' she added. They had taken the girls swimming before, but Emily had never gotten to really teach the girls to swim. The thought of sharing one of the things she loved the most, with one of her daughters made her feel giddy inside.  
'I think that sounds like a great idea, Em' Alison replied with a smile, happy that Emily had found something that seemed to excite her. 'It'll help give her something to focus on and let off a bit of steam, and it'll give the two of you time to spend together alone. If she's feeling insecure about herself, then some quality time might help. Me and Lily can spend that time doing things that she likes to do' Alison added with a shrug.

That weekend, Emily and Grace hit the pool, and Grace seemed to love it. Emily taught the younger girl how to kick and paddle like the best of them. It seemed that amongst many other things she had inherited from her Mom, Grace had inherited Emily's natural swimming ability and she seemed to love the water.  
'When I'm bigger, I want to be a swimmer like you' she sleepily mumbled on the drive home. This could work, Emily thought to herself as she silently thanked her Mom, and her Dad, for their great idea.


	8. Flying High, Falling Low

**Hello again, didn't I tell you that you wouldn't have to wait too long? So, this chapter is probably the least Emison based chapter I will write, but I do hope you like it. I'll leave this short and sweet, and let you read.**

 **Enjoy!**

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'My turn' Lily cheered happily as she rolled the dice across the board. She moved her red marker across the board four spaces, landing on a snake which took her right back to the bottom of the board.  
'Ohhh bad luck, monkey!' Emily said, chuckling a little as Grace cheered.  
'Now I'm winning!' Grace cheered, wiggling her body in celebration. It was weekends like this that Emily loved; the only thing missing was Alison. The blonde was away with the school for the weekend on a trip, and though she had only been gone for a day, Emily was missing her already. She had decided that she and the girls would have lots of fun until Alison got home. Emily was just about to throw the dice when the doorbell rang.  
'Hold that thought, girls' she said as she placed the dice back on the board. 'No cheating' she warned, looking both girls up and down suspiciously before laughing as she left the room. Emily opened the door to see a very sullen looking Spencer, raindrops dripping from her hair.  
'Em, I need your help' Spencer said sadly the second the door was open.  
'What's up?' Emily asked, as she looked the taller woman up and down. Emily stood aside and let Spencer into the house, closing the door behind them. Emily led Spencer through to the kitchen and poured her a cup of hot coffee before grabbing a towel from the clean laundry pile that was sat on the kitchen table, waiting to be put away.  
'Girls, you can play without me for a while' Emily shouted through to Lily and Grace, who were still waiting for Emily to come back. The two younger girls cheered happily, and Emily took a second to admire how big her girls were now, and how she sort of missed them being babies and depending on her. Spencer coughed, causing Emily to focus back on her.  
'Sorry. So, what's wrong?' Emily asked, handing Spencer her coffee and taking a seat opposite her at the table. Spencer looked at the cup that was clasped in her hands and took a moment before she responded. Emily figured whatever it was, it must be pretty bad, since Spencer wasn't really the quiet type.  
'Toby's gone' Spencer finally said solemnly. Emily's eyes widened a little. She knew that Toby and Spencer had had problems the last few months, but she hadn't expected this.

' _I'm not going through this again, Toby!' Spencer shouted as tears streamed down her face.  
'Why can't you just do this for me?' he yelled back. Rain and wind lashed against the windows, causing them to rattle in the wooden frames. It seemed almost poetic that the weather would match the mood that had been cast over the barn of The Hasting's residence.  
'Because you're being unreasonable!' Spencer yelled back as thunder rolled over the house. Hot, angry tears spilled from her eyes.  
'Oh, I'm being unreasonable?' Toby shot back with a scoff, 'I followed you back here when you wanted to come home, even though I wanted to stay in Cambodia. Forgive me, Spencer but I think that's far from unreasonable' he spat.  
'And now you're asking me to leave behind everything that I have here' Spencer shot back angrily. The storm outside was beginning to subside, but the storm in the barn seemed to only just be beginning.  
'What exactly are you leaving behind, Spencer? We've been back a year and you're back to the same place you were before we left. Working for your Mom and living in her backyard!' he shouted back, unable to understand what could possibly want to keep Spencer in Rosewood. 'And you want to turn down our own apartment and a job that is worthwhile, for that? What else could possibly have you stay here?' he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.  
'My friends and my family are here. My life is here. Yeah, sure Cambodia was great for me, it was the escape I needed all those years ago, but I'm not that same girl that needed to run away because I couldn't deal with the nightmares. I've grown and I've matured. I'm ready to come home and I'm ready to settle.' Spencer tried to explain, her tone softening. 'I missed out on so much while I was gone, and I don't want to miss anymore. This is where I want us to get married and raise a family, surrounded by the love of our friends and family' She reached out, placing a soft hand on his bicep, hoping that her words could change his mind. Praying that this was enough to keep him here with her. As they stood and looked at each other, both with tears in their eyes, they knew that their love was one that was everlasting. Love was an amazingly magical feeling, everlasting love even more so. But Spencer had learned the hard way, that a love that can be so mighty that it lifts you into the clouds, can be pulled out from under your feet in a second and the fall back down to Earth is devastatingly painful._

 _'I'm sorry Spencer, but I've changed too and that's not the life I pictured for us' Toby replied softly, his tears brimming over and his heart pounding against his chest as he said the words he wished he didn't have to say. 'We want different things and it's not fair for either of us to bend for the other'  
'So, what are you saying?' she asked fearfully, her heart falling into her stomach.  
'You know what I'm saying, Spencer' Toby replied, looking away from Spencer's face. It hurt too much to see the pain he was inflicting on her.  
'I want you to say it. If you mean it, then you can say it' Spencer spat, anger rising through her again. She was infuriated with Toby. How dare he give up on them. After everything they had been through, he was going to walk away now. 'Say it!' she screamed at him. She felt like she was going crazy, but she needed him to say it. She wasn't going to let him cause this much pain and have the easy way out. She wanted Toby to suffer for the way he was making her feel.  
'Spencer' he pleaded softly, hating that he was causing this.  
'Say it, Toby' Spencer repeated again, with a strange softness to her voice. She clenched her jaw as she took a step closer to him.  
'I'm sorry Spencer' he said simply. Spencer watched as silent tears rolled down his beautiful face and before she knew what she was doing, her hand rose to meet his cheek in a single, hard slap. They looked at each other, shell shocked at what had just happened. Neither of them knew what to do or say.  
'Toby, I'm sorry' Spencer spluttered out, tears falling thick and face. She reached out to cup his face, but Toby pulled away.  
'I'm sorry' he repeated before he turned and walked out of the door and into the rain. Spencer fell to the ground, her heart feeling like it was crumbling in her chest as she sobbed. _

'I'm so sorry, Spencer' Emily said softly as she took Spencer's hand across the table. She honestly didn't know what to say to her friend, who was clearly still in shock about the whole situation. They let the silence wash over them, Spencer not wanting to talk and Emily not really knowing what there was to say. Toby was gone and he had left a broken Spencer behind him. All Emily could do was pick up the pieces he had left behind and hope she could fix her best friend again.  
'Spencer, I have to ask' Emily started, unsure of how to broach the question she wanted to ask. 'Ali and me. We weren't the reason you stayed, right?' Emily managed to ask. Spencer had been a huge part of their lives since she had come back, and Emily and Alison had found her a great help. She was always on hand to babysit and had even started picking the girls up from school twice a week, in order to give Pam a break. Emily would hate to think that she had refused to go back to Cambodia with Toby, because she felt that she couldn't leave them.  
'No' Spencer shook her head. 'I mean, I love being part of the girls lives and helping you and Ali. But it wasn't my reason for staying' she added. Spencer knew the reason she had wanted to stay so badly, she just wasn't sure she was ready to tell yet, but Emily was pushing and she knew she would have to spill eventually.  
'No, you and the girls weren't the reason' Spencer repeated. 'The reason I didn't want to go to Cambodia, is because I am pregnant' Spencer said slowly as she blinked away the tears that threatened to fall and gave Emily a sad smile.  
'You're pregnant?' Emily repeated, needing clarification as she was beginning to feel overwhelmed with the information she was receiving. 'Spence, that's awesome but, why didn't you tell Toby? I'm sure if you'd have told him-'  
'No' Spencer cut her off. 'It wouldn't have made a difference'  
'Spencer, there's no way he would have left if you'd have told him' Emily repeated.  
'I didn't tell him because he had already made up his mind. He was already going to leave' Spencer explained sadly. 'If I told him, he would have stayed and he'd have resented me for it. I'm not going to be the reason he gives up on what he wants to do with his life' she finished, an unmistakable finality in her voice. Spencer had made the decision to let Toby go and live his life, instead of holding him back for herself, and a child that wasn't in his plans. Emily could understand and she could sympathise, she'd like to think she'd have probably done the same if she was put in that situation with Alison, but if she was honest, she thinks she'd probably drop the bombshell and hope that Alison wouldn't resent her afterwards. Now, Spencer was faced with the possibility of raising this child alone, and Emily wasn't sure that Spencer was mentally ready for that.  
'What are you going to do, Spencer? You have to tell him at some point' Emily pointed out, 'You can't just leave him in the dark and then when he comes back, just spring it on him like, hey this is your kid. Congrats, you're a Father!'  
'I know but, honestly I don't know what I'm going to do yet' Spencer replied sadly as she stared at her, now cold, coffee. 'I'm not ready to be a Mom, Em. Especially not a single Mom' she admitted, looking up at Emily with such sadness that Emily thought she might cry for Spencer. If anyone understood the uncertainty of parenthood, it was Emily. She and Alison had been forced into Motherhood in the most brutal way possible, but they had each other and they had thrived.  
'So what, you're going to get a termination?' she asked bluntly, which right now she figured was the only way they could talk. They needed to straighten out the cold hard facts, and that wasn't going to be possible if they pussy-footed around the subject. It seemed so harsh to Spencer, the idea of terminating a baby. Giving up on a little life before it really had a chance. She wasn't sure she was cut throat enough for that.  
'I don't think I could' she said in realisation. It was in that moment that she realised that those were her options. She didn't have the heart to terminate a baby that was the creation of the love she and Toby shared, she also felt the same way about adoption. How could she justify carrying a baby inside of her for 9 Months, only to give it away when the real work started. It seemed too much like giving up for her liking. So, even though she was nowhere near ready to become a parent, unless she had a time machine, Spencer saw no other option. The only question was, how did she tell Toby?

Emily entered the living room with two cups of hot chocolate, figuring they needed a new hot beverage of choice, since Spencer obviously couldn't drink caffeine anymore. Spencer was already wondering if she'd made the right decision, purely based on that fact alone. Emily handed Spencer her hot chocolate and sat beside her on the couch, kicking her feet up beneath her.  
'So, where's your head at?' Emily asked, before blowing into her cup to cool her drink. Spencer looked down thoughtfully, contemplating what she had spent the last few hours thinking about.  
'I don't think I have much of a choice, Em' she finally said, looking up at Emily with a small smile. 'This baby, it's me and Toby. It was made in a time of love. Whatever else happens, that will always be the case.' Spencer finished with a shrug. She placed a hand lightly on her stomach and though she was barely two months pregnant, she was sure that her tummy felt bigger already. Emily smiled and nodded in understanding. She felt so bittersweet about the situation. A baby should be a time for celebration, regardless to the events that led up to it, but the fact that Spencer had potentially lost Toby at the same time, it tinged the situation with sadness.  
'And what about Toby?' Emily asked, signalling to the elephant in the room.  
'I have to tell him. He deserves to know the whole truth' Spencer responded, feeling more level headed now that she'd had some time to think about the situation clearly. 'But, it still doesn't change things with us. He can be a part of our child's life, that will never be an issue, but I can't be with him. This baby doesn't change how messy our relationship has been for the last few months, or the fact that we both clearly want different things in life.' Spencer seemed so sure with her decision, whether Emily agreed with her or not, she didn't see the point in making her claim. She knew that she had to be there for Spencer, and the baby that she would now be raising solo.

It had been quite a day for Emily and once Spencer had left, she took some time to ponder over the day's events. What had started out as a relatively calm day, had turned into an emotional rollercoaster of a journey with Spencer. It was hard to think that Spencer would now be preparing to become a parent. A few years ago, Emily could have never seen Spencer as the maternal type, but seeing her with Lily and Grace had changed her opinion of Spencer completely. She saw that mothering and nurturing side that Spencer had kept hidden for so long, and Emily knew that she would be an amazing Mom. She couldn't help but be a little jealous of the journey Spencer was about to go on. She thought back to when Alison was pregnant, all those exciting milestones along the way. Following the progress of the baby on the baby app, seeing which fruit or vegetable it compared in size with each week. Watching as Alison's bump grew and hearing those heartbeats for the first time. It was such a magical time in Emily's life. Emily had longed for those days again, and with Aria and Hanna also pregnant, she felt like she was surrounded by babies and pregnancies. Emily hadn't said anything to anyone, thinking she was going crazy, but the urge and longing for another baby was becoming overwhelming. She knew this wasn't something that was going to pass. The only fear Emily had was that Alison wouldn't feel the same way. What if Alison didn't want another baby? Their life was perfect right now, the girls were getting bigger and she and Alison had more time together. They had no more temper tantrums or night feeds, no more diapers to change. They had finally found a routine that worked for the whole family, and here Emily was, wanting to unsettle the peace again by bringing another baby into the fold. But Emily wanted this baby so damn much, she could almost feel her ovaries aching.

Emily had resisted the temptation to call Alison that night so had decided to wait until the following day when the other woman was home, wanting to talk to her in person. She had been on edge all day, with butterflies the size of Jumbo Jets flying around her stomach. She was so anxious, it was making her feel sick. When she heard the front door open, she swore her legs got replaced with jelly.  
'Hey babe! God, it's good to see your face' Alison sighed as she walked through the door, dumping her bags in the hall before she made her way through to the living room. She grabbed Emily by the arms and pulled her in for a tight hug before pulling back and placing a long, hard kiss on her lips. 'I missed you'  
'I missed you too' Emily replied softly, but Alison could tell that something was on her Wife's mind.  
'What's wrong?' she asked, immediately worrying that something had happened while she had been gone.  
'Can we sit down for a second? There's something I need to talk to you about' Emily said, her tone serious. The butterflies in her stomach were going crazy and her anxiety was going through the roof. She had to just get this out there. Alison on the other hand was now beginning to panic. What the hell had happened while she was gone? Had Emily suddenly decided that she wanted a divorce? Had she met someone else?  
'Em, what's going on?' Alison asked, her heart pounding like a jack hammer. Emily led Alison to the couch and they both sat facing each other. Emily stayed silent for a moment, trying to get the courage to say what she needed to say.  
'Emily!' Alison half shouted, growing frustrated with her Wife, but also because she was so scared that Emily was about to walk away from her.  
'Iwannahavanotherbaby' Emily blurted, the words coming out so fast she couldn't control them. Alison's eyes widened in shock. This was not how she had expected the conversation to go.  
'What?'  
'I want to have a baby, again. With you' Emily explained slower, her cheeks flushing hot pink under Alison's intense glare.  
'Goddammit Emily!' Alison yelled giving Emily a gentle slap to the arm. 'Is that what all this was about?' she asked as she let out a relieved laugh, wanting to clarify that there was nothing seriously wrong with her wife.  
'I mean, yeah' Emily replied, now feeling more confused than ever.  
'You're not leaving me? And the girls are both completely fine?' Alison double checked, her smile growing wider by the second.  
'What? Ofcourse I'm not leaving you and yeah, the girls are fine' Emily replied, 'What the hell is wrong with you?' she asked, her eyes narrowing in confusion. Alison leaned forward and pulled Emily into a single, wet kiss.  
'I'm sorry baby, you just scared me' Alison explained when she pulled back. She looked lovingly into Emily's eyes, and she knew she didn't even need to think about Emily's request. 'I would have all the babies with you, Em. I've actually been thinking about it myself for a while now, I just didn't know how you felt about it' she explained, and Emily's face went from confused to full blown smiling. She pulled Alison in and kissed her hard.  
'We're really going to do this?' she asked, her smile permanently plastered to her face. Alison nodded in confirmation, before leaning back in to kiss her wife. They were really doing this. Emily couldn't believe it had been that easy. She wasn't even sure they were ready for it, but she figured they'd already gone through the worst with the twins, how hard could it be a second time around?

 **1 Year Later**

'Ok, the stick is peed on and the timer is set' Alison said excitedly as she placed her phone with the timer on, on the counter in the bathroom. She turned to Emily, who was sat on the lid of the toilet seat, her foot tapping anxiously.  
'Em, whatever it says, it will be fine' Alison said as she made her way across the room and crouched down in front of Emily, placing her hands on her wife's knees.  
'We said that last time. What if it's negative again?' Emily asked, not wanting to get her hopes up again. This was their fourth attempt at getting pregnant. Their fourth pregnancy test, and Emily wasn't sure she could take a fourth negative result.  
'If it's negative then we try again, and again and again, until it's positive' Alison replied with a small smile as she reached up and brushed a strand of hair behind Emily's ear. 'I promise you, I will produce sperm myself if that's what it takes to get you pregnant' Alison joked in an attempt to cheer Emily up. It seemed to work, because she got a small, genuine chuckle from her wife.  
'If any woman was able to succeed in that, it'd be you' Emily countered. 'Seriously though, what if I can't get pregnant?' Emily added, her face growing solemn again.  
'Em, the fertility consultant checked you out thoroughly. Your baby making machine is perfectly capable of making tiny humans, it just needs a little kick start is all' Alison replied softly. She hoped for Emily's sake, that this test was positive. Alison hated the toll it was taking on her wife. After a year of failed attempts, Emily was getting more and more down about not falling pregnant and Alison wished she could wave a magic wand to make it happen.

The alarm went off on Alison's phone. The two women looked at each other for a moment, their eyes filled with hope.  
'You look, I can't do it' Emily said, running her fingers through her hair anxiously. Alison nodded and gave Emily a tight lipped smile before lifting herself from her position and making her way across the bathroom. Her heart was pounding and her hands shaking as she reached across the counter and picked up the pregnancy test.  
'Oh my god' Alison said in shock as she looked at the test. She spun round and rushed across the bathroom, pulling Emily up and lifting her off her feet. Alison spun Emily in the air before gently putting her feet safely back on the ground, squealing happily. Emily was so taken by surprise, she didn't even have time to process what was happening. Alison bent over and lifted Emily's top a little, before placing a kiss below her belly button.  
'HI baby' Alison cooed to Emily's stomach. Emily suddenly realised what Alison was doing.  
'I'm pregnant?' Emily asked in astonishment. Alison stood up straight, her face full of happiness.  
'You're pregnant' she replied with a nod of the head, happy tears forming in her eyes.  
'Oh my god. I'm pregnant!' Emily shouted in excitement. She looked down at her tummy and back up to Alison, pulling her in for a long, loving kiss. 'We're pregnant' she whispered as she pulled away, looking deep into Alison's ocean blue eyes. Emily felt like her heart was about to burst. She couldn't believe this was finally happening. After a year of trying and three failed attempts, a year of their hopes getting dashed time after time and a year of tears and frustration, Emily was finally pregnant and she could confidently say that she'd go through that year time and time again if this was the result.

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 **Spoby fans, please don't hate me!**


	9. Oh Baby, Baby!

**Hello, my lovely readers. So, this was supposed to be a short chapter and ended up being almost 10,000 words!**

 **Once again, thank you to everyone who has left comments on my previous chapters, I love reading every single one of them. In answer to some people's questions:**

 **There will be no plot twist in this story regarding the baby's parentage, since I wasn't a fan of the way that was handled on the show. I haven't mentioned the technicalities of how Emily got pregnant in this chapter, though it may be something that I visit later on. Long story short, the donor is anonymous and that is the way I plan to keep it.**

 **I am planning on writing an AU Fic. I have a basic storyline in my head and plan to start drafting out in the next few days, since I'm pretty much out of ideas as to where I'm going to go next with this storyline. I have ideas for when the kids are bigger, but I don't want to skip that far forward just yet. Dont worry though, I won't be leaving this lying incomplete, I get inspiration very quickly :)**

 **In answer to those of you who wondered why I made the decision to break up Toby and Spencer. I love Spoby and think they're a great couple, but they are also the most volatile of all the couples on the show. I figured that it was pretty unrealistic for all of the girls to remain in the same relationships since high school/(post-college for Emison) and unfortunately Spoby took the hit. Don't worry though, because though I haven't fully decided what will happen with them, this is not the end.**

 **This chapter is rated M, for that one smutty follower who wanted all the sexy times. Enjoy ;)**

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Emily stood in front of the mirror, her snug, white t-shirt lifted up above her belly. With her hands on her hips, Emily twisted and turned in front of the mirror, checking herself out.  
'What are you doing?' Alison asked as she walked out of the bathroom, half naked with nothing but a towel wrapped around her body and another around her head. Usually the sight of Alison walking out of the bathroom like this would cause Emily to pounce on her, but this morning she couldn't seem less interested by her half naked wife.  
'Do you think I have a bump?' Emily asked as she turned around to face Alison and pointed at her flat tummy and the abs that dominated her torso. Alison loved Emily's body and even after all these years, she still felt that familiar ache whenever she saw her Wife naked. Alison bit down on her bottom lip as she thought about all the things she wanted to do to Emily. As she walked across the room, Emily could see that lustful look in Alison's eye. Her own hormones were going crazy with the pregnancy and she felt instantly turned on. Emily closed the distance in two strides and captured Alison's lips in a hungry kiss. She tugged at the towel that was wrapped around Alison's body, letting it drop to the floor as it revealed the other woman's body. Emily's ran her hand softly down Alison's side, around the curve of her full hips and to her backside, groping her ass firmly as she deepened the kiss. Alison moaned at the contact as she brushed her hands up the back of Emily's top, feeling her wife's muscles ripple under her skin. Alison parted just long enough to pull Emily's top over her head, revealing her bare breasts. She brought her hands round to fondle them as she leaned back in to the kiss, her thumb flicking gently over Emily's pert nipple.  
'Ouch' Emily mumbled into Alison's mouth, before pulling away.  
'What's wrong?' Alison questioned, unsure of what had happened to cause her wife pain.  
'Nothing' Emily replied bashfully, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment. She knew she shouldn't be ashamed of anything around Alison, but this was all new territory. Emily was finding out new things about her body every day since she had discovered she was pregnant, some of these things were great, others not so much.  
'Em, what is it?' Alison pushed, her face filled with concern for the woman she loved. Emily looked away for a second before catching eye contact again.  
'It's just' she started, 'My boobs are really sore' finished quietly, so quiet that Alison had barely heard her. Her eyes widened slightly in realisation, but she couldn't stop herself from letting out a small chuckle.  
'It's not funny, Ali' Emily retorted as she crossed her arms over her bare chest, annoyed that her wife found this situation so amusing.  
'No, no. Baby, I know. I'm sorry' Alison replied, still stifling her laughter as she placed her hand on Emily's arm. 'I'm sorry, it's not funny' she repeated, finally composing herself.  
'Whatever' Emily replied, rolling her eyes as she pulled away from Alison and put her t-shirt back on.  
'Babe, I thought we were… you know' Alison signalled to the bed, wanting to pick up where they had just left off.  
'I'm suddenly not in the mood' Emily replied coldly as she walked out of the room and headed towards the bedroom door.  
'But, I'm horny' Alison complained.  
'So? You've got a hand. Use it' Emily replied as she left the room. Alison stood in shock at what had just happened. How had they gone from making out and ripping each other's clothes off to Emily leaving and telling her to D.I.Y herself? Emily had been so up and down lately with her mood swings that Alison couldn't keep up, and now apparently those pregnancy hormones were blue balling her. She groaned to herself before deciding to just get herself dressed.

Alison spent the rest of the day in a foul mood after being left hanging dry that morning, leaving her students to bear the brunt of a seriously pissed off teacher.  
'Lucy, I don't wanna hear your excuses, just get your paper on my desk by tomorrow morning or you'll be waving goodbye to Harvard and saying hello to Community College' she snapped at one of her Seniors, not even bothering to look up when the student had approached her desk. As the last few students filed out of the room, Alison let her head fall to the desk with a sigh.  
'What a crappy day' she groaned to herself as she rested her hands on the back of her head.  
'Mrs DiLaurentis-Fields?' she heard a student call as they knocked on the door to her classroom.  
'What is it?' she asked harshly, looking up at the sheepish looking teenage boy, who had disturbed her silence.  
'Um, Miss-Miss Enfield asked me to-to come get you' he stuttered, feeling intimidated by the teacher who had a reputation of being a bit of a tyrant. 'Sh-she said it's about your wife' he added. At those words, Alison's head shot up.  
'Where is she?' she barked, jumping up from her chair.  
'By the pool' he squeaked in response as he looked at Alison like she was a crazy person. Alison practically ran through the halls to get to the pool, where she found Emily sitting on the bleachers with a waste paper basket between her knees and her head plunged into it. Alison rushed over and sat beside Emily, automatically rubbing her back.  
'Em, are you ok?' Alison asked, her frustration from before now long gone and instead replaced with nothing but concern for Emily. Emily shook her head in response as she vomited harshly into the basket, causing Alison to wince sympathetically as she pulled the brunette hair out of her wife's face and gently rubbed her back. Emily had had terrible morning sickness for the past few weeks and while she had some days where she had barely any sickness, other days Emily's sickness could be set off by something as simple as the smell of a burger or that one time she was stuck in an elevator with a particularly smelly man and had to stop herself from being sick on his shoes. Today, it appeared that the smell of chlorine, a smell that Emily had smelled every day since she was five years old, had turned her stomach into a washing machine and Emily couldn't stop being sick.  
'I need to go home' Emily managed to say between bouts of vomiting.  
'Ok, we'll go home' Alison responded, nodding her head in agreement. 'Bring that with you' she added, pointing to the waste paper basket as she helped Emily up from the bleachers.  
'Can you ask Mr Heston to cover my classes for the rest of the day, please?' she asked Miss Enfield as they walked passed her, barely stopping to get her response.

Alison whisked Emily home with the windows wide open the whole way. Emily was only sick a few more times, but the smell of vomit filled the car and Alison had to do her best to not join in and make this a double team effort.  
'Come on, we'll just go straight up to bed' Alison said as she led Emily into the house and up the stairs, making sure to leave the bucket full of sick outside the door.  
'I need to shower' Emily said sadly, looking down at her vomit covered top. Alison wrinkled her nose as she looked at Emily and decided that if the vomit in her hair was anything to go by, then yes she needed to shower.  
'Yeah, maybe you're right. You smell like that milk that Hanna left in the back of her refrigerator for six months' Alison replied, shuddering at the memory of the milk that had basically turned into cheese.  
'Oh god' Emily groaned, the memory of that particular incident making her stomach turn. She doubled over and clutched her stomach as she vomited in their rosebush.  
'Damn, I liked that rose bush' Alison sighed as she pulled Emily's hair back from her face and rubbed her back.

'Hi guys!' Aria greeted cheerfully as she opened the door.  
'Hey, congratulations!' Emily cheered as she handed Aria a bunch of flowers and leaned in to hug her.  
'Hey! Congrats!' Ali greeted as she leaned in for the next hug. 'Please tell me how you managed to write a whole book while juggling a newborn because when our girls were babies, I barely had time to eat' Alison added with a chuckle.  
'Thanks guys' Aria blushed as she leaned down to the two smaller girls who were flanking their Moms. 'Grace, Lily thank you so much for my flowers. Sawyer is out back with Ava if you want to go join them' Aria said happily, barely dodging the girls as they ran through the house and out to the backyard. Alison and Emily shook their head, chuckling at their girls excitement.

They made their way into the living room, where Spencer sat cradling a sleeping, dark haired baby girl, and Hanna sat beside her with her own sandy haired son and Aria's brunette son in her lap. Hanna bounced the two ten month olds on her knee and Emily noted the happy glint in her friend's eye at the babies giggling.  
'Hi' Alison and Emily greeted quietly, not wanting to disturb Spencer's four month old daughter.  
'Everytime I see this kid, I wanna eat her. She's so freaking cute' Alison cooed as she moved in to take a closer look at the baby, fondly thinking about how she and Emily would be having another baby soon. 'I remember when the girls were this small'  
'Yeah, it seems like so long ago' Emily added as she peered at the baby over Alison's shoulder.  
'Even I can't believe how fast those two girls grew up. It's like they went from four years old to fifteen overnight!' Spencer stated with a chuckle.  
'Yeah, well you've got all that to come' Aria added fondly.  
'Yeah, one day you've got a milk drinking, diaper shitting machine and the next you've got a mouthy, smart-ass five year old who you're already having nightmares about becoming a teenager' Hanna joined in, causing the other four women to laugh, knowing fully well that Ava was Hanna's daughter through a through, and with Hanna's personality she was already full of way more attitude and sass than any five year old should be. 'Last week I was trying to get her to put on this really cute outfit that I bought for her, she rolled her eyes at me so hard, I honestly thought they were going to roll right out of her freaking head, and she told me that it was so out of style, Wilma Flintstone wouldn't have even worn it'  
'Well, she definitely inherited her Mother's charm' Spencer chuckled as she looked down at her sleeping daughter and wondered if she would inherit her competitive nature, or Toby's kindness. As her mind lingered on the thought of Toby, she felt that familiar longing settle in her stomach. It was one that she had been feeling for a long time now, and Spencer was sure that it would be there for a long, long time.

 _It had been a long, emotional day for Spencer, having poured her heart out to Emily. She had spent the day going over everything with the other woman, telling her everything that had happened with Toby earlier that day and about the pregnancy, and while Spencer was glad to have finally talked to someone about the baby that was growing inside of her, the reality of the situation scared the hell out of her. As she walked home, she mulled everything over in her head, thought about the prospect of raising a baby and how she was possibly going to tell Toby. She reached the barn and saw that the lights were on, signalling that the very man she wanted so much to avoid, was just behind that door. Spencer froze outside the door, telling herself that it was better to go in now and face him that later but her heart was in her throat as all of the emotions from earlier rose to the surface, and spencer almost winced because it hurt so god damn much. Tears sprung to her eyes at the memory of them shouting at each other over the storm, of her hand coming into contact with that perfectly chiselled jaw and of Toby turning his back on her. Spencer felt her heart breaking in two, but as much as she was hurting right now, Toby deserved to know the truth and this baby deserved to have a Father, and it was that thought that pushed her through the door.  
'Spencer' Toby spoke, his voice full of shock. 'I didn't think you'd be home so soon. I'll be out of your way soon' he added, looking everywhere around the room but into the eyes of the woman that it hurt so much to be leaving. He hated what he was doing to Spencer and he felt so incredibly selfish, but being in Rosewood, a town that was full of horrific memories and bad nightmares, was suffocating him. Every corner he turned, Toby was reminded of the horror they had been submitted to all those years ago. He recalled the fear her felt, every time Spencer put herself into danger in order to track down the bastard that was making her life a misery, and Toby had begun to hate the small town that he had grown up in because almost every memory he had in it was one filled with pain and loss and fear.  
'It's ok, you don't have to rush' Spencer managed to reply, trying so hard to keep the threatening tears at bay. 'You can stay for a while if you like?' she offered, even though her heart was literally ripping in two as she stood in front of the man she loved so much.  
'I don't think that's a good idea' Toby replied, and Spencer could see that he was feeling this pain too and it took everything in her not to walk across that room and kiss his beautiful mouth like her life depended on it, because she knew that it would only lead to more pain and more hurt, because ultimately Spencer knew how this was going to end._

' _I lied to you' she blurted out. She hadn't even meant to, the words hadn't entered her mind before they came out of her mouth, they had just come out and Spencer figured she had to go with it now because how was she supposed to just take that back and with Toby looking at her expectantly, waiting for more, she took a breath and prepared herself for the conversation that was about to take place. 'When you asked me what was keeping me here in Rosewood. I lied'  
'What do you mean you lied? Lied about what?' Toby replied, his tone confused and slightly accusatory, and Spencer wanted more than anything to take it back. To take back the hurt and the pain that she was causing. To just pack up her bags and go with Toby to Cambodia anything to take that look off of his face, but she knew that she couldn't do that. She had to do this.  
'I'm pregnant, Toby' Spencer finally said into the silence, her voice barely a whisper but loud enough for Toby to hear, and Spencer's heart was pounding in her chest as she waited for his response. She watched as he processed the information she had just told him, his eyes flashing with more emotions than Spencer could identify, and she wondered what they would settle on as she saw a mixture anger and sadness, but also excitement and happiness. Spencer wasn't sure which she would prefer, with both options leading to impossible situations._

' _Why didn't you tell me?' he finally hushed out, his face full of confliction as he caught her eye contact, his bag dropping from his hand onto the couch. Spencer had expected this question, but still she was lost for words. She didn't have an explanation that would make sense to Toby, not that she could articulate it if she did, not with him looking at her the way he was. Because Spencer was the woman who prided herself in having all the answers, of being logical and reasonable enough to work out even the most difficult of puzzles, except when it came to Toby. Toby was the exception to everything Spencer stood for, her ultimate weakness, and that was something that was still able to knock Spencer off her feet.  
'Because you were already leaving me' she finally hushed out, her voice breaking and eyes stinging with tears. Spencer sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, trying so hard to hold the tears back, but she felt like she was being shattered into pieces every time she looked at him and no amount of strength or willpower was going to hold them back. She sees Toby flinch, stopping himself from moving to comfort her at the sight of her tears, and Spencer half wishes he would take her into his arms and tell her that everything would be ok, but she knows that it won't. Instead they stand there in a silent stalemate, neither knowing what this means or where they go from here.  
'I wish you'd told me' Toby finally breaks the silence as he makes his way across the room towards her, and Spencer feels her heart rate increase, her chest hurting with the pounding of it against her ribcage. 'I'd never have even thought of leaving if you'd told me' he adds, and he's impossibly close to her now. She can smell his aftershave, and it smells so good she wants to just kiss him and feel his skin against her own. Toby leans down and brushes his lips against hers, and Spencer feels like her heart is about to explode.  
'Stop' she manages to whisper against his, and it takes all of her willpower to not rip his clothes off and run her hands all over his body. Spencer rests her head against his chest, taking a second to indulge in the feeling of him before she puts distance between them. 'It doesn't change anything Toby' she finally says, not daring to look into his eyes.  
'It-'  
'No, Toby' she interrupts, shaking her head with a sad smile. 'You want to go back to Cambodia and I don't. That hasn't changed'  
'I'll stay for you' Toby says automatically, even though he knows that he couldn't face a life of living in Rosewood. He knows that eventually he will want to move out of the small town and to somewhere with no bad memories haunting every corner, and he knows that Spencer will want to stay here. They will inevitably end up back in this situation, only they will have a child in the middle of them, pulling them to stay together and ultimately one of them will end up unhappy and miserable, and that's not a life Toby wants for either of them.  
'Nothing has changed here Toby. Our relationship is fucked up enough already, a baby doesn't change that' Spencer replies sadly, fighting everything that is telling her to just shut up and kiss him, and they can worry about the future later.  
'Spencer' Toby replied, his tone almost pleading, 'Please we can make this work'  
'How can we make this work Toby? We want entirely different things right now and you said it yourself earlier, it's not fair for one of us to bend for the other' Spencer repeated Toby's words from earlier in the day, her voice full of sadness. She could almost laugh at how the tables had turned, if the situation were even remotely funny. Earlier she had been begging him not to walk out the door and leave her, but now she was convincing him that they had no future. _

It had taken time, and it was something they were still working on but she and Toby had come to an agreement in regards to their daughter, Phoebe. Toby had gone back to Cambodia for six weeks, before settling in a small town just outside of Philly. It had been hard, spending time together for the sake of her pregnancy and the baby, and they had had more than a few slip ups along the way, but Spencer was happy with how things were right now. They had found a nice balance, and she hoped that maybe one day, things would change, because that love that they held for each other was still very much present, but right now they weren't right for each other. Quite frankly, the situation sucked and it hurt, and Spencer battled with herself every day to stop herself from driving to Philly and throwing herself at Toby.

'So, Aria. The book is finally out there. How does it feel?' Alison asked curiously. She would be the first to admit that when Aria came to them almost two years ago and said she had wanted to write a book about them and the whole A fiasco, she wasn't too happy about it, but Emily had reasoned with her that the whole damn world knew about it anyway because of the media presence at the time, so what harm was there in letting Aria take ownership of the situation in the best way she knew. The smaller woman had promised to let them all have final say in the book before it was published, and had vowed to scrap it at any point if any of them wished to do so, but when she had read the finished product, Alison had to admit that she was pretty impressed with it. Aria had written it in such a classy, tactful way without revealing too many unwanted details and all four of the other women had loved the final product.  
'Honestly, it feels really scary now that it's out there' Aria admitted. She knew that it would be hard to put the truth out there after so many years of the public speculating and the media twisting the story to their own narrative, but she had seriously underestimated exactly how hard it would be. The other four women nodded, understandingly. They had all felt that same feeling in the upcoming release of the book, Alison's nightmares had returned in full force and she would wake in the night sweating and shaking, unable to shake the feeling of being buried alive, even with Emily holding her close and whispering into her ear to calm her, and Emily had taken to checking all doors and windows three times every evening, convinced that someone was going to attempt to break in during the night. The conversation was broken by the small cry of Phoebe, and Spencer jiggled her to hush her but the baby grew more erratic and Spencer figured she must be hungry.  
'Ali, here can you hold her for a sec while I fix her bottle?' Spencer asked, signalling for Alison to take the baby. Alison reached forward and happily took the crying baby from Spencer's arms, hushing her as she rocked the baby to calm her.  
'It's ok pretty girl' Ali hushed, smiling down at the brunette child in her arms. Emily looked on, her heart swelling as she thought that in a few months, this would be their child in Alison's arms. She thought about the last time she had seen Alison hold a baby, when Aria's son was born, and how down she had been that day to have had yet another negative pregnancy test. It had hurt so much to see her wife cradling another woman's child, and Emily could see in her eyes as Alison looked down on the tiny baby in her arms, just how much she wanted another child of their own, and Emily's heart had hurt so god damn much that she couldn't give that to her.

 _'Have you picked a name yet?' Alison asked as she cradled Aria's newborn son in her arms. Emily watched on, feeling incredible guilt and sadness at the fact that this should be them. They should be preparing to have this feeling and she should be ready to glow the way Aria glowed. Emily hated that she felt jealous of Aria, and Hanna, who had recently given birth to their sons just weeks apart. Then of course there was Spencer, whose own bun was baking nicely and the usually slender woman was beginning to fill out in all the right places, her pregnancy blossoming. Emily had tried to get Ali to let her stay home, but her wife had been insistent that she couldn't hide from their friends forever. Emily had rolled her eyes and countered that it wouldn't have to be forever, simply until she fell pregnant, or her friends' babies turned 18 and she didn't need to worry about those pangs of hurt that hit her heart every time she saw a baby or a pregnant woman.  
'Yeah, I think we're pretty set on Harper' Aria replied with a smile.  
'Oh, like the Beckhams?' Hanna perked up, suddenly interested in the conversation that was taking place. Alison snorted a laugh, knowing full well that they hadn't decided to name their daughter after the daughter of a 90's singer and soccer star.  
'Like the Author, dumbass. You know, Harper Lee?' Alison quipped, 'Seriously, did you even get an education?'  
'Oh' Hanna replied, pouting a little at being wrong. 'I was still half right though' she mumbled to herself dejectedly. Spencer gave her a sympathetic look and rubbed her arm, knowing that in Hanna's typical fashion, she had meant so well but had fallen just short of the mark.  
'Han, did you and Caleb finally settle on a name for your little one?' Emily asked curiously, wanting to be involved in the conversation for her friends' sake. They weren't aware of what was going on with Emily, Hanna had mentioned a few times that she seemed different or down, but Emily had brushed the blonde off and blamed it on her time of the month. Alison had mentioned telling the group about them trying to get pregnant, but Emily didn't want their looks of pity whenever their next round of IVF didn't work.  
'Yeah, did Caleb finally give in and let you call him Ralph Prada Gucci?' Alison asked with a smirk.  
'It wasn't Ralph Prada Gucci, it was Marc Alexander, and no we decided against that' Hanna shot back, scowling slightly at Alison, 'We decided to go with Oscar'  
'Like the awards ceremony?' Aria asked innocently.  
'No, like the designer' Hanna stated, growing more frustrated with her friends when she was met by four blank faces. 'Oscar De La Renta? God have I taught you people nothing over the years!? Here, this month's Vogue. Read it. Learn from it!' she half yelled as she tossed the magazine from her bag onto the coffee table in front of her. The rest of the group looked at Hanna with widened eyes and Emily wished she could say that Hanna had lashed out due to her pregnancy still throwing her hormones out of whack, but Hanna had been surprisingly calm throughout her entire pregnancy. Still, it had been enough to stop her from bawling over the fact that she couldn't get pregnant. Instead she sat and looked through Hanna's copy of Vogue, silently reminding herself that she may not be pregnant but at least she wasn't crazy, like Hanna seemed to be.  
_

As Emily looked on at Alison holding the baby, she felt tears begin to prick at her eyes and Emily knew that she wouldn't be able to stop them.  
'Em, what's wrong?' Aria asked with concern, as a silent tear rolled down Emily's cheek.  
'Nothing' she replied unconvincingly, wiping the tear away quickly. Alison turned knowingly, knowing what her wife's hormones had been like the last few weeks, and knowing that this could go one of two ways. Emily could pull herself together or- Her thought was interrupted by Emily letting out a sob, and Alison sighed, knowing that she should have known this would happen.  
'Emily, you ok?' Alison asked cautiously.  
'You just look so cute holding Phoebe' Emily sobbed, waving her hand in the direction of Alison and the baby to emphasize her point, causing Spencer and Aria to look at her puzzled about her strange behaviour, and Hanna to look at her like she had completely lost the plot.  
'Ok babe' Alison resigned, holding her arm out for Emily to cuddle into. Alison sighed as she held baby Phoebe in one arm and Emily in the other, who was now sobbing on her shoulder.

Emily cried for almost fifteen long minutes. Fifteen minutes of Alison brushing her fingers through her hair and hushing her softly. Fifteen minutes of Spencer, Aria and Hanna looking between each other not knowing what the hell was going on and why Emily was acting so strange. Fifteen long, tearful minutes, until finally Emily started to giggle to herself.  
'What?' Spencer asked, even more confused by the sudden change in the brunettes emotions.  
'You just. The looks on your faces' Emily cackled, clutching at her stomach as she laughed.  
'Are you high or do I need to haul your ass to Welby?' Hanna asked, wondering what had made her friend act so crazy.  
'No, no, no' Emily giggled, shaking her head at Hanna.  
'Em, maybe we should tell them before Hanna holds an intervention and gets you commited' Alison chuckled, finding Emily's giggles contagious. Emily instantly stopped laughing and caught eye contact with Alison, silently asking if she was sure. They hadn't even told Lily and Grace yet and it was still early days of the pregnancy. Alison nodded with a smile, she didn't want to keep this news in any longer.  
'Ok. Um, I'm not high or crazy' Emily started, placing her hand on her stomach. 'I'm pregnant' she finished with a smile. She looked to Alison and as blue eyes met brown, the happiness and excitement that they both dwelt radiated around the room.  
'What!?'  
'Oh my god!'  
'Totally saw it coming'  
They all replied together with Hanna, ever the joker, getting the last laugh. Hanna, Spencer and Aria all huddled around them, trying not to squash the babies in their arms as they pulled Emily and Alison into a group hug.  
'This is amazing' Spencer said as she sniffed.  
'Are you crying?' Aria asked, furrowing her eyebrows together as she saw Spencer's eyes beginning to fill with tears.  
'Hey, Emily's not the only one with crazy pregnancy hormones here, ok. She's just a hell of a lot crazier than I am' Spencer replied with a chuckle as she wiped away her happy tears.  
'Caleb thought I had crazy pregnancy hormones, once he sees Em, he's gonna feel like the luckiest man in the world' Hanna quipped, causing the group to laugh again.

Emily's first trimester was tough, with her morning sickness and her mood swings, so much so that Alison had seriously wondered what the hell they had been thinking having Emily be the one to get pregnant. Alison had relatively sailed through her pregnancy with the twins, something that Emily had thrown against her several times when her hormones put her into a bad mood, something that Alison still hadn't adjusted to. She hated seeing venom in the usually warm, loving brown eyes that belonged to her wife, but she also knew that it wasn't really Emily talking when she snapped the way she did. Unfortunately, while the sickness disappeared after the first trimester, the mood swings seemed to grow more intense and Alison had begun to dread going home, never knowing which version of her Wife she was going to meet that day. Some days Emily was her usual self, which Alison loved, some days Emily would be ridiculously horny and turned on, which Alison loved even more, but other days Emily would be cranky and agitated, or she would be sobbing over something trivial and it was those days that Alison hated because pregnant Emily was stubborn as a mule, and Alison quite frankly, didn't have the patience for it. Then there was the days when Emily's moods changed so drastically, that Alison felt dizzy trying to keep up. The strangest day by far, had happened only a few weeks ago.

 _Alison placed her hand against the front door and braced herself before she entered, not entirely sure what Emily's mood was going to be like. She had seemed fine at lunch when Alison had last seen her, but Emily's moods changed so quickly these days that Alison never knew what to expect. As she entered the house, she was met with an unusual silence. She had already received a text from Spencer to say that the girls were with her, so she hadn't expected full chaos, but this was quieter than Alison had been expecting. She made her way up the stairs to the bedroom, wondering if Emily had decided to take a nap. As she got closer to the bedroom, she heard the faint sound of crying. Bracing herself, Alison opened the bedroom door to the sight of Emily sitting on the floor, dressed in underpants and a tight white t-shirt, that didn't quite cover her 6 month bump, surrounded by clothes while she sobbed into a pair of jeans.  
'Em? What's wrong?' Alison asked as she made her way into the room, still trying to understand what exactly could have turned her Wife to breaking point this time.  
'I'm fat' Emily sobbed, her golden eyes flooded with tears and rimmed with angry, red circles. Alison had to stifle a giggle at this dramatic response, because it was almost ridiculous that Emily would consider herself fat. They hadn't even needed to buy maternity clothes, due to her slow growing bump, though from the looks of the tight t-shirt on Emily, Alison wondered if maybe they did need a little shopping trip, because Emily's stomach had ballooned seemingly overnight, and Alison was now guessing that that was the cause of this melt down.  
'Babe, you're not fat' Alison replied, still standing in the doorway of the bedroom.  
'Yeah, well tell that to my clothes because nothing fucking fits me!' Emily raged, launching the jeans she had been sobbing into, across the room in anger, and Alison's eyebrows shot up in surprise at Emily's quick change in emotion.  
'Babe' Alison hushed as she moved closer, kneeling on the floor in front of Emily as she took the other woman's hands into her own. 'You need to calm down' Alison said softly.  
'Calm down!?' Emily shouted back, anger still very much plastered across her face as she pulled her hands back from Alison's. 'You're not the one who can't even put on anything fucking nice to wear to do something nice for their fucking wife!' Emily shouted back, the tears starting up quickly again. 'I just wanted to dress nice for you so you'd find me sexy again' Emily sobbed. Alison couldn't believe that this whole melt down had started because Emily wanted to look good for her.  
'Baby, I always find you sexy. In fact I think you're even sexier when you're pregnant' Alison replied, brushing damp hair away from Emily's face as the tears stopped and Emily caught her eye contact.  
'Yeah?' she asked, her voice husky as she spoke._

 _Alison nodded in response and Emily's eyes flashed with arousal as she pounced on Alison, pinning her to the floor with hot, desperate kisses. Alison moaned into Emily's mouth, her hands clutching at brunette hair, as Emily's hands grasped at her breasts. Arousal pooled between Alison's legs and her breathing became laboured as she tried to keep up with Emily's assault. Alison let out a deep groan as Emily's mouth moved to her neck, biting down on her pulse point and the more noise Alison seemed to make, the more it spurred Emily on because the next thing she knew, the brunette was pulling her top up and her mouth was latched over one of Alison's nipples, causing her hands to tighten in Emily's hair as her back arched into her Wife's mouth. Alison loosened her grip to pull her top and bra off completely before latching her hands back onto Emily's head, pulling her in closer as the other woman's hot tongue licked languidly around her nipple, her teeth nipping lightly at the sensitive bud, causing Alison to feel like she was going to explode.  
'Baby, touch me' she begged, her voice breathy as she tried hard to catch her breath. Emily lifted her head, her mouth curled into a firm smirk at the fact that she had manged to turn her wife into a crumbling mess in just a few minutes. Emily pulled the tight t-shirt up over her head and Alison leaned in to remove her bra, releasing her breasts. Emily pushed Alison back to the ground and hovered over her, her swollen stomach brushing lightly against Alison's as she kissed her way up the woman's body to her lips. She pulled Alison back into a heated kiss, causing her to moan as their tongues slipped against each other. Emily brushed her hand along Alison's side, stopping at her hip and Alison squirmed as Emily's fingers whispered against the skin at the hem of her pants. Emily fumbled with the button and Alison helped her to remove the item of clothing, her panties going with them, before she kicked them off and to the side, her hands gripping Emily's back as tanned hands slid gingerly up along her inner thigh and Alison thought she would come then and there as she felt fingers hover teasingly above where she wanted them.  
'Just fuck me already' Alison moaned, frustrated at Emily's games. Alison let out a loud moan, back arching and her nails digging into Emily's back, causing her to hiss, as Emily's fingers slid straight in through her wet folds and began to pump in long, fluid movements.  
'Fuck' Alison moaned, her head falling backwards into the rug as Emily's mouth moved along her neck and to her breasts, biting at the skin as she made her way down. Emily wanted Alison to scream, wanted to make her tremble beneath her as the blonde breathed out her name. Emily kissed her way down Alison's body, her hands tangling back into Emily's long brunette hair, desperate to grab onto something. She hissed at the feeling of Emily's teeth nipping at her body and knew that there would be marks left, but it felt so good she didn't care. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, but the arousal was too much for her, and as Emily's mouth reached her sex, her tongue flicking out against her clit as her fingers continued to thrust in and out, Alison let out a gasp, her nails digging into Emily's scalp.  
'Oh my. Fuck!' Alison cried as Emily's lips wrapped around the bundle of nerves and her tongue began to lap quickly against it, the tip of her tongue just barely brushing against the top of her clit, and with the added sensation of Emily's fingers, Alison's mind span. Her toes curled and she released one hand from Emily's head, instead grabbing desperately at the fluffy rug beneath her, her fingers sinking into the soft material as she thrust her hips and ground down into Emily's fingers frantically.  
'Fuck, don't stop Em' she gasped, feeling her release building. Emily moaned into her sex, causing added vibrations as she sped her fingers up, pushing them deeper into her as she matched Alison's movements.  
'Fuck, baby. Oh my god' Alison breathed as the felt herself rising to the edge.  
'Fuck, I'm gonna-' Alison moaned loudly as her back arched high off of the floor, her legs trembling as her orgasm ripped through her. Emily's movements slowed down, allowing Alison to ride out her orgasm before she pulled her wife up to her and into a kiss. Alison moaned as she tasted herself on Emily's lips and tongue. Emily pulled back and rested their foreheads together as they looked deep into each other's eyes and tried to catch their breath.  
'I fucking love you' Alison managed to breathe, causing Emily to chuckle.  
'I love you too' Emily replied, placing a soft kiss to Alison's lips._

 _Alison gingerly danced her fingers down Emily's spine, landing at her panties. She bit her bottom lip seductively as she teased her fingers along the edge of it, smirking when Emily's eyes fluttered shut and a heavy breath rasped between her lips. Alison pulled Emily's panties down, causing the brunette to kick them off, and Alison's eyes darkened as she caught a glimpse of the wetness that pooled between her wife's legs. Alison teased her fingers up Emily's thigh and revelled in the sound that left her wife's mouth as she stroked her fingers through slick, wet folds. Alison moaned at the feeling of the warmth and wetness of Emily's sex, and she longed to taste her. Alison kissed her way down Emily's front, sliding her own body along the floor as she kissed down between the valley that dipped between the brunette's breasts. Emily gasped, her arms shaking and growing weak as she supported herself above Alison, and Emily wasn't sure how much longer she could hold herself up for. Her head hung low and heavy as she groaned at the feeling of Alison's lips ghosting along her swollen stomach, kissing every inch of stretched skin, before moving further down, and Emily could already feel the tension building in her stomach, as Alison's lips moved dangerously lower.  
'Sit back' Alison instructed, as she gripped onto Emily's hips, leading her to hover just above her face. Emily gasped as she came into contact with Alison's mouth, the blonde not wasting any time before she dipped her tongue into Emily, moaning at the taste. Alison had noticed that since she had fallen pregnant, Emily tasted different, and Alison couldn't get enough of the new rich taste.  
'Oh my god' Emily rasped as she angled herself backwards, her hands resting on Alison's thighs for support as she ground into the other woman's mouth, who was literally fucking her with her tongue as though she was trying to lap up every bit of moisture she could.  
'Fuck, Ali' she groaned, as Alison's tongue began to flick light and fast at her clit, causing Emily's whole body to shake every time Alison hit the perfect spot. Alison opened her eyes, knowing that Emily was close, and she felt herself grow aroused again at the sight in front of her. Emily was grinding into her face, her back arched so much that her pregnant tummy was sticking into the air as she groped her own breast. Every breath she took was heavy and deep, and god she was so beautiful with her mouth stuck open as she gasped and moaned above her.  
'Ah fuck' Emily gasped, the words leaving her mouth slowly, and Alison watched as Emily's body froze above her when she came, her arms finally growing weak and her body giving up as Emily threw herself forward, resting on her elbows as Alison gripped her thighs to keep her lower half in place. Emily gently ground into Alison's mouth as she rode out the aftershocks of her orgasm, tiny gasps and groans leaving her mouth with soft stroke of Alison's tongue. _

_Finally, Emily rolled off of Alison, collapsing to the side of her with a dopey smile on her face.  
'God, Ali' she breathed, 'That was so fucking good' Alison chuckled as she settled herself beside Emily, gently cupping Emily's face lovingly as the brunette tried desperately to get her breath back.  
'Yeah, it wasn't so bad for me either' Alison purred as she leaned in to kiss Emily's lips. Emily moaned into the kiss as it deepened quickly, tongues battling for dominance and hands becoming tangled in hair. Alison thought she was getting extra lucky tonight, with no kids until one of them decided to pop over to Spencer's to pick them up, they weren't in a rush for the first time in a long time, but just as things started to heat up, Emily pulled away and hauled herself up off of the floor, leaving Alison confused as she watched her Wife walk out of the bedroom door.  
'What? Where are you going?' Alison asked as she propped herself up, arousal and heat pinching in her stomach.  
'I'm hungry' Emily shouted over her shoulder, as she headed down the stairs, causing Alison to groan and throw herself back into the rug.  
'Fucking hormones!' Alison cursed._

As Alison pulled up into the driveway, the summer heat hitting her as she opened the car door. Alison couldn't help but smile, she had always loved everything about the summer. As she made her way into the house, she giggled as Grace pressed her face up against the glass of the window. As Alison made her way into the house, Grace came running towards her, skidding in her socks across the polished wood flooring of the hall, and wrapping her arms around her Mother.  
'Hey honey, how was your day?' Alison asked as she leaned down to place a kiss to the top of Grace's head.  
'It was ok' Grace replied, letting Alison go so they could walk into the living room, where Emily was lying on the sofa in tiny shorts and her running bra, her huge belly in the air. Lily was lying between the brunette's legs, her head placed on Emily's tummy, which Alison thought was rather cute. Alison couldn't help but chuckle a little at what Emily was wearing, knowing her wife was struggling with the heat as she was coming to the end of her pregnancy.  
'Hey baby, how you doing?' she asked, leaning over to kiss Emily. It was then that she realised that Emily was eating. 'What the hell is that?' Alison recoiled in disgust at the sight of the food Emily was taking a bite out of. 'Is that pizza and ice cream?' she asked, her nose wrinkling in disgust.  
'Mhm. And mayonnaise' Emily added as she took another bite out of the strange concoction. Alison had grown used to Emily eating strange food throughout her pregnancy, but this was by far the strangest.  
'God, I can't wait for you to have this baby' Alison chuckled as she leaned down to place a kiss to Emily's forehead. 'Weirdo' she mumbled against Emily's skin.  
'Your weirdo though' Emily replies as she leans her head back and pouts her lips to kiss her wife properly, but Alison pulls back with a raised eyebrow.  
'I'm not kissing you while you're eating that!' Alison stated, pointing her finger at the plate that sat beside Emily.

The big day finally came, on a warm summer's afternoon in July. Alison was in the middle of teaching a class and had her students doing some silent reading of a chapter of The Great Gatsby, when she received the call from Emily. Alison wouldn't usually answer her phone during a class, but since Emily was now 4 days overdue, Alison had been checking it constantly.  
'I'll be outside guys, just keep reading' she muttered to her students as she exited the room, hitting the accept button as she did. 'Babe, what's wrong?' she asked immediately.  
'Nothing's wrong, don't panic' Emily replied calmly before she let out a loud groan, causing Alison to do the exact opposite of what Emily had just told her to do.  
'Is it the baby?' she asked, worried that Emily was home alone and something might have happened.  
'The baby's coming, contractions started a few hours ago' Emily finally replied once the contraction was over. 'I didn't want to worry you so I called the hospital, they said not to come in until my contractions were five minutes apart, unless my water's broke, which they just have' she explained through the phone, and if this was Emily's way of keeping her calm she was doing a pretty bad job of it.  
'Ok, I'm coming home to get you now' Alison said, forgetting about her class completely as she rushed into the room to grab her bag.  
'No, I'm on the way to the hospital, Spencer is driving me' Emily stated calmly 'just meet me at the hospital'  
'Ok, I'll see you soon babe. Hang in there and I'll be with you as soon as I can. I love you' Alison replied, mentally thanking Spencer for her constant check-ups on Emily over the past few weeks and the fact that she was still so conveniently located next door to them. Alison looked up at her students, shock hitting her all of a sudden. 'Um, class. My wife has gone into labour so, I have to go. Class is dismissed, I guess' she mumbled awkwardly before heading out the door and to her car.

When she reached the hospital, after getting pulled over by a police officer for doing 60 in a 35 zone, Emily was already in the bed, squeezing Spencer's hand and almost breaking her knuckles by the look of it.  
'I'm here baby, I'm here. I'm so sorry' Alison half shouted, trying to catch her breath from running through the hospital like a damn crazy person. Alison brushed sweat-soaked hair out of Emily's face and placed a kiss to her clammy brow, surprised with how quickly Emily's labour had advanced.  
'Where the fuck was you?' Emily screams, and Alison almost jumps back at the anger in Emily's eyes.  
'I'm sorry, I got here as quick as I could' Alison tried to reason with Emily, not entirely sure what was causing her to be so angry. Spencer looked on awkwardly, unable to escape due to Emily still squeezing her hand.  
'Obviously not fast enough' Emily spat, crying as another contraction hit.  
'You're doing so well, Emily. You're almost ready to push' the nurse called from between Emily's legs.  
'Ali, I'm going to get out of here because I don't really need to see any more than I've seen already today. Could you, you know?' Spencer gestured towards Emily's gripping hand with her head.  
'Oh, sure. Thanks Spence' Alison jumped in, prising Emily's death grip on Spencer's hand away and instead replacing it with her own. Alison flinched instantly under Emily's tight grip and wondered how Spencer had handled Emily's grip for so long.  
'Ali, don't leave me' Emily begged, fear filling her eyes as she misheard the conversation that was taking place.  
'I'm not going anywhere baby, I'm right here' Alison assured her as Spencer left the room.  
'I don't wanna do this anymore, it hurts too much' Emily cried, and Alison wished she could take over and take away the pain, but she knew from experience that the pain was so worth the result.  
'I know, but you're almost there. You're so, so close and then you'll have that baby in your arms. Our baby' Alison replied encouragingly, because she knew how hard this was and knew how tiring it was, but this was something that they had both wanted for so long, and they were so close to finally having it.  
'Ok Emily, are you ready to bring your baby into the world?' the nurse asked.  
'No' Emily sobbed, her hand clutching Alison's harder than ever, and Alison was pretty sure that her blood vessels were going to burst, but she knew it was nothing compared to what Emily was going through right now, so Alison would bare the pain in order to get Emily through this.  
'You can do this baby' she encouraged Emily, wiping her brow with her sleeve.  
'Ok Emily, on three. Push for me now' the nurse encouraged, and with a long, groan of pain that shook Alison and a hard push, Emily started to push their baby into the world.  
'That's the head' the nurse stated from between Emily's legs, and Alison couldn't help but peer round to see a head of brunette hair. She continued to watch, as Emily started to push again a few minutes later and she was sure that she had never seen anything so amazing in her life, and her love for Emily grew in abundance. Alison cried with Emily as their baby boy was placed into Emily's arms, all bloodied and wrapped in a blanket, and even though Alison had always said that newborn babies looked like old men for the first few weeks, she was sure that this was the most beautiful baby she had ever set eyes on.  
'I'm so proud of you' Alison cried as she kissed Emily's lips with a smile.

'Ok, you guys definitely make the cutest babies' Hanna cooed at the two week old baby boy in Alison's arms.  
Hanna, you realise that they didn't actually make the baby together, right?' Spencer says warily, not wanting to have to explain to the blonde about genetics.  
'I know, but- You guys know what I mean, right?' Hanna asked Emily and Alison, who simply chuckled and nodded.  
'Well, I agree with Hanna. You have adorable babies' Aria added with a smile.  
'Emily makes adorable babies you mean' Alison corrected, as she looked across to her wife adoringly. She honestly had never thought it possible to love Emily more than she already did, but after watching her give birth, it was like that love had multiplied by a thousand, and her heart couldn't cope with the amount of love she had for the brunette.  
'Thanks guys' Emily replied, a slight blush hinting on her cheeks.  
'Ok, Emily doesn't need anything else to make her big headed' Hanna butted in, seeing the embarrassment on her friend's face. 'So, I'm just going to ask the question we all wanna know. Did you shit on the table?' she asked tactlessly.  
'Hanna' Spencer replied, with a face of disgust.  
'What!? Everyone does it!' Hanna exclaimed, Except for me, anyway. Right babe?' Hanna turned to Caleb who was sat on a stool behind her.  
'Of course not' he replied instantly. As Hanna turned back to the group with a smug face, Caleb began to nod his head with a smirk.  
'Everywhere' he mouthed to the group, causing them to laugh. Hanna turned back just in time to catch Caleb, giving him a well-earned slap to the chest, before she turned back and pouted.  
'Well, Emily was a total rockstar' Alison piped up, avoiding the question that had been asked, but Emily didn't care either way. Poop or not, whatever had happened, had brought their baby boy into the world. It was one of the best days of her life, the day that their tiny bundle of joy, Jude Wayne DiLaurentis-Fields, finally entered the world.


	10. 30 and Fabulous

**Well hello there! I'm sorry that this took a little longer to update than usual, I was busy trying to plot out my other fic for you guys. I'm really excited about jumping into that, so if you haven't checked it out, go read it! Obviously, because I'm updating 2 fics at once, updates might be a bit slower, but I will not be dropping this so do not worry, I am 100% committed to both of my fics.**

 **I'll be honest, I wasn't 100% happy with how this chapter turned out and I went back and re-edited and re-wrote it a dozen times, it got to the point where I figured I would never think it was perfect, and I'll be honest, I struggle with fluff, so it's a bit of a filler chapter more than anything, but it has smut and it has cute twin interactions, so I hope you all like it and don't think of it as 8000 words of rambling.**

 **Just a throw out, how are you all feeling about the flashbacks? I realised that I've been putting more and more in lately. Do you like them? Do you not? Like, if people aren't enjoying them then I can cut them out in future but if you're loving them then I'll keep them in for future chapters. Let me know!**

 **Anyway, get reading! Let me know what you think! Also, I'm still taking prompts, if anyone wants to see something in the next chapter :)**

* * *

'Grace, if you don't get your ass in the car in two seconds, I'm leaving without you' Alison warned as she settled baby Jude in his baby carrier. She looked up through the blonde hair that was falling over her face as she leaned forwards to buckle up the three month old baby, to see Grace was still hopping around in the driveway. Alison groaned in frustration, bending back out of the car and looking over the roof.  
'Grace, in the car. Now, please' she yelled, the tone of her voice telling her seven year old not to mess with her. Grace stopped instantly at the tone, knowing all too well that her Mom was not someone you wanted to disobey.  
'Ok' Grace sighed as she made her way to the car, dragging her feet behind her.  
'Thank you. Now buckle up, I have to get you to the pool in ten minutes' Alison stated as she double checked Jude and Lily's buckles. 'Em, come on!' she yelled towards the house as she pulled out of the car, satisfied that all three children were safely buckled up.  
'I'm coming, I'm coming' Emily yelled back as she left the house, closing the door behind her. 'What's got your panties in a twist?' Emily asked as she made her way over to the car, throwing her swim bag in the trunk.  
'Nothing just, I still have to drop you guys off at the pool and meet Hanna at the mall' Alison explained with a huff. Emily pouted playfully as she gently rested her arms over Alison's shoulders. Alison responded by placing her hands on Emily's hips, letting out a satisfied sigh at the closeness of the brunette.  
'My poor baby's stressed' she said, putting on a faux sympathetic tone, which caused Alison's lips to curve into a small smile as she looked away from Emily. Emily chuckled at Alison's reaction, sometimes she really couldn't get over how adorable her wife was. 'Relax. The pool is only a few minutes away from the Mall and Hanna will be late, because that's what Hanna does best. You have plenty of time' Emily assured her, before leaning in to kiss her wife's troubles away.  
'Ew, you guys are gross' Grace yelled from the car, causing Lily to giggle. Emily and Alison pulled apart, both turning to the car with a chuckle.  
'Oh yeah?' Emily asked as she made her way round to Grace's side of the car, opened the door and peppered her face in wet, sloppy kisses. Grace screamed with laughter as she tried to squirm away from Emily. Alison looked on in adoration, her frustration from before long forgotten, as she thought about how lucky she was to have the most perfect family.

Alison had arrived at the Mall fifteen minutes after the time she had arranged to meet Hanna. As she reached the food court, with Jude in the stroller and Lily beside her, she looked around to see that Emily had been right, Hanna was late. With no sign of the blonde anywhere, Alison settled at a table with Lily and Jude, shooting off a text to Hanna to tell her where to meet them. Alison was growing frustrated again. This shopping trip had been planned for a few weeks now, and with Emily's birthday coming up, Alison needed Hanna's help to buy the perfect gift. Alison placed her phone on the table and tried to occupy herself by watching Lily tickling Jude's feet.  
'Mommy, Jude's smiling' Lily said excitedly, pointing at the sleepy, gummy smile on Jude's face.  
'I don't think he's smiling, Lils. I think he just has wind' Alison chuckled, laughing even more when Lily pulled her hand away in disgust.  
'No farting on me, Mr' Lily said, wagging her finger at baby Jude before laughing at herself, causing Alison to laugh too at her silly daughter. 'I love you, Jude' Lily sang to him as she placed her finger in his tiny grasping hand. Alison smiled at the scene in front of her, happy that her daughters had both taken so well to having a new baby in the house.

'Ali, I'm sorry I'm late. Ava got a bloody nose and it was everywhere, all over my car seats, so I had to stop and get the interior cleaned' Hanna ranted as she power walked towards Ali with Oscar in the stroller and Ava at her heels, running to keep up with the taller blonde.  
'Ava!' Lily squealed in excitement, dropping Jude's hand to run over to the blonde.  
'Hi Lily!' Ava replied, wrapping her little arms around Lily's waist to pull her into a hug, before kissing her on the cheek. Hanna and Alison chuckled at the two girls, who had been close since they were babies. Despite the fact that there was a little over a year between the two girls, Ava and Lily spent all their recess and lunch breaks at school together, and were pretty much constantly at either the Rivers household or the DiLaurentis-Fields house, along with Grace, which usually meant they were causing trouble wherever they went.  
'You know what, I'm not even mad anymore. Can we just get to shopping?' Alison asked with a chuckle, rolling her eyes at her friend.  
'Yes! Emily's birthday present' Hanna replied with a nod as the two women began to push their strollers through the food court, Ava and Lily walking hand in hand in front of them. 'You got any ideas?'  
'A few, but I want to get her something really special. I mean, it's her Thirtieth after all' Alison replied.  
'Our baby girl is finally joining the club of the big 3-0' Hanna said with a sigh, causing Alison to laugh at the joke Hanna and Emily had had for years, since Emily was the youngest of the group. Alison had always felt a little sorry for Emily for having her birthday in November, since it meant that whilst growing up, she had always been slightly behind the other girls.

 _Emily sighed as she looked at her closet, wondering what on earth she was going to wear for Aria's birthday. Aria was the last of the group to turn 21, other than Emily that is, which meant that yet again, Emily would be at a friend's 21_ _st_ _birthday party with everyone drinking, except for her. She hadn't minded so much at Hanna's, because she was the only one who was now legally able to drink, and Alison's hadn't been too bad either, though having the drunk girl fondling over her while Emily was still very much sober had been a challenge. Emily had wanted to take the blonde back to her bed so badly, but also didn't want to take advantage of her either. Spencer's birthday had been more difficult, but at least she still had Aria there in sober solidarity. Now, Emily would be the last one standing in the company of her drunken friends, and as a result had figured she may as well take the job of designated driver.  
'Hey, Em' Alison greeted as she entered Emily's bedroom, her pearly white teeth flashing through her smile.  
'Hey' Emily sighed as she threw herself onto her bed, landing on her back with a groan. Not even the sight of Alison DiLaurentis could make this better.  
'What's up?' Alison asked as she dropped her purse by the end of the bed and laid herself beside Emily, her head rested to the side so she could look at the tanned girl's face.  
'Nothing much, it's just- Now that Aria's twenty one, I'm the last one that can't legally drink and I still have another four months until my birthday' Emily explained. 'I'm just sick of being the one left behind. It's like turning sixteen again. By the time I even got my learners permit, the girls all had their Junior Licenses and their own cars. When we were thirteen and all your parents let you go to the Mall without supervision, the other girls were able to go with you, but I was still twelve, and my parents wouldn't let me join you. I just don't wanna be left out' Emily finished, feeling rather childish about what had gotten her in such a bad mood, but Alison understood her friend's frustration, after all, she herself had fallen two years behind everyone while she had been on the run. She had left four, awkward teenage girls, and had come back to four, matured, blossoming women. If anyone understood feeling frustrated about being left behind, it was Alison._

 _'Em, I can promise you that you won't be left out' Alison stated softly, taking Emily's hand and lacing their fingers together on the bed.  
'How do you know?' Emily asked, finally turning to look at Alison, and Alison felt her heart beat just a little faster at the sight of those deep, brown eyes and it was all she could do not to reach over and kiss her, because even though they had resolved their friendship long ago and they had talked about the past, and they had come to an unspoken understanding that friendship was all they could have, Alison still couldn't stop the way the brunette made her breath hitch in her throat with a simple look, and she was pretty sure Emily felt the same because they had slipped up more than a few times.  
'Because I could never leave you behind, not even when we were younger. When we all turned thirteen and our parents let us go to the Mall alone, I never went with the girls because I didn't want to go without you. So instead, I stayed home and we hung out. Eventually the other girls stopped going, and none of us really went until you were old enough to join us' Alison explained. 'Why do you think my Mom was always with us when we went? I didn't just bring her along so she'd buy us awesome clothes, though that was an advantage'  
'Why did you do that?' Emily replied after a few moments silence, her mind trying to process the fact that Alison had done that for her  
'You really need to ask that?' Alison asked, her eyebrow cocking questioningly, and Emily realised that no, she didn't need to ask, because even though Alison had never declared her love for her, Emily knew that the blonde cared about her, possibly more than she cared about anyone else in the world, so of course thirteen year old Alison had bailed on her opportunity to go to the Mall without adult supervision, in order to stay home and watch Nickelodeon with Emily.  
'Thank you' Emily whispered, her eyes flicking to Alison's lips, because she had never been more in love with the other girl, than she was right now. Alison DiLaurentis had always been a mysterious girl, who Emily couldn't for the life of her understand, but over the past few years, the blonde had opened up little by little, revealing that caring side that Emily always knew she had, and sharing the selfless things she had secretly done, though admittedly most of those things were for Emily. As she was maturing, Alison had gone from this manipulative, secretive girl and was well on her way to becoming an open, honest young woman, and Emily liked this version of Alison. _

_Alison saw the way Emily's eyes flicked down before raising back up again, as if she was begging for permission, and Alison's heart was begging her to inch closer but that voice in her head was screaming at her to sit up and break eye contact. She couldn't keep toying with the brunette the way she was, because she knew that Emily loved her and of course Alison loved her back, but she wasn't ready to admit those feelings, not yet anyway. As Emily leaned in, it took every ounce of strength in Alison to sit up from the bed and away from Emily's lips.  
'I've got something for you' Alison said in the happiest tone she could muster, trying to ignore the flash of hurt look on Emily's face. Alison hated that she was hurting the brunette and wished she could just keep herself away from her.  
'What is it?' Emily asked, sitting up from the bed as she tried to forget about the sting from Alison's rejection. She watched as Alison reached into her bag and handed her a small plastic card.  
'It's for tonight' Alison stated with a small smile as Emily took the fake I.D from her fingers. 'I know that your last one got confiscated and you didn't want to get caught with another, but this is just for a few months. Hell, you can even throw it out tonight if you want to, I just want you to have fun is all'  
'Thanks, Ali' Emily replied in response, feeling dizzy with the blonde's actions. _

_The fake I.D had worked a treat that night, and Emily had had more fun than she'd had in a long time, too much fun apparently because when they stumbled out of a club at 5am, the floor was spinning fast and Emily was struggling to stand. Alison watched with wary eyes as the brunette clutched at the wall and decided that she was clearly the less intoxicated of the two of them.  
'Em, come on. We'll go back to my place' Alison offered as she wrapped an arm around Emily's waist and supported her weight.  
'You're so nice and so, so pretty' Emily mumbled, giggling into Alison's neck and Alison didn't miss the way the brunette's eyes ogled her chest unashamedly.  
'You're pretty too' Alison replied with a gulp, suddenly feeling very sober under Emily's gaze. Alison hailed down a cab and helped Emily in before sliding in beside her, Emily's head falling backwards as the alcohol made her body feel heavy.  
'She better not puke' the cab driver said to Alison firmly, turning in his seat to look at Emily.  
'She won't, just drive' Alison replied, her tone just as firm as the man in the front seat, causing him to scoff and turn back to face the front of the car. As the car started, Alison felt Emily lie down across the back seat, her head resting in Alison's lap and Emily's arms wrapping around her thigh, her hand dangerously close to where Alison wished it could be as her thumb rubbed softly back and forth on the tender skin of Alison's inner thigh. Alison froze at the movement, before resting hear hand on Emily's head, her fingers gently combing through brunette hair as she looked down at the drunken woman, her heart thumping at the intimacy of their positions.  
'I love you Ali' Emily mumbled into her leg, 'I wish you loved me back' Alison felt tears sting at her eyes at these words, because she wished she could be honest with Emily, wished she could suck it up and admit her feelings the way the brunette deserved, but Alison had had so many fucked up relationships, she wasn't sure she even knew how to love someone the way they should be, not without hurting them, and she wasn't going to put Emily through that. And so, Alison dismissed Emily's statement and hoped she wouldn't remember it in the morning. She stared out the window at the world flashing by and let the silent tears roll down her cheeks. _

Alison stopped at the window of a jewellery store, the flash of diamonds catching her eye.  
'See anything you like, Ali?' Hanna asked, as she pulled the stroller up beside her, keeping one eye on the two girls in front of them.  
'Maybe' Alison replied as she bit down on the corner of her mouth in thought.  
'Honestly, I think you're putting way too much thought into the gift. You could get Emily anything and she'd love it' Hanna replied, partly because she knew that Emily wasn't a materialistic woman but also because they'd been walking around this damn Mall for three hours already and Alison hadn't come even remotely close to buying anything.  
'I want it to be special. Emily was heavily pregnant on my birthday and she still managed to make it an amazing night' Alison explained.  
'What did you guys even do on your birthday?' Hanna asked, realising that she didn't actually know how Alison had celebrated her own Thirtieth birthday. 'Wait, scratch that, I don't think I wanna know' she added, grimacing as she got mental images of her two best friends naked and kissing and fingers-  
'Not like that!' Alison interrupted with a chuckle, 'Though, there was definitely some action' Alison added, biting her lip with a smirk as she remembered the wild night she and Emily had had.  
'Not listening' Hanna half yelled as she stuck her fingers in her ears.

Alison led Emily into the living room and sat her on the couch.  
'Are you going to tell me what this is all about yet or do I have to force it out of you?' Emily asked with a nervous chuckle.  
'No, there will be no forcing, though I wouldn't be opposed to it' Alison trailed off, her mind going elsewhere as she thought of Emily fucking her until she gave up her secrets, the thoughts of her own birthday causing her to feel turned on.  
'Ok, simmer down horn dog' Emily chuckled, knowing exactly where her wife's mind was going.  
'Sorry' Alison replied, pulling herself out of her thoughts. 'So, I have an early Birthday present for you'  
'Ali, you didn't need to-'  
'Shut up and listen' Alison interrupted playfully, causing Emily to snap her mouth shut. 'I know that your birthday isn't until tomorrow, but this couldn't really wait until then'  
'Ali, what did you do?' Emily asks cautiously, her eyes narrowing as she looked at the blonde woman in front of her.  
'Tomorrow morning, I'm taking the kids to Hanna's and we are going to New York for the weekend, to celebrate your birthday in style and child free' Alison revealed with a smile.  
'Are you serious?' Emily asked in shock. She had been expecting something low-key, not for Alison to whisk her away for the weekend.  
'Yeah, I'm serious' Alison replied, 'Do you not want to go?' she asked nervously.  
'Of course I wanna go. I'm sorry, you just shocked me is all' Emily replied, her smile finally breaking across her face as she wrapped her arms around Alison's shoulders and kissed her.

They had arrived in New York City the following afternoon, and judging by the hotel room they were staying in, Emily figured Alison had gone all out with this birthday weekend. Alison had booked a penthouse room in a modern hotel in the centre of the city.  
'Ali, this room is amazing' Emily gushed as she looked around the spacious room, stopping at the full length doors that lead out to a large balcony overlooking the south side of Central Park.  
'Well, I have the most amazing wife, who deserves the most amazing things' Alison replied as she moved to wrap her arms around Emily's waist from behind, placing a small kiss on her shoulder as she looked out at the view.

Alison hadn't planned anything for their first night in New York, figuring that they would go with the flow and see where the evening took them. As it happened, Emily was happy to stay in the hotel and make the most of their time alone. Wanting to grant her wife's every wish, Alison ordered a bottle of wine to the room and she and Emily sat on the balcony, the cold November air raising goose bumps on their skin as they enjoyed their wine while overlooking the peacefulness of the park below them, sitting beside the evening's hustle and bustle of the busy streets surrounding it.  
'This view is amazing, I could honestly stay here with you forever' Emily whispered as she cuddled into Alison on the loveseat they were sat on.  
'Yeah, it'd be nice wouldn't it?' Alison replied dreamily as she ran her fingers through Emily's hair. 'I love our kids, but I miss the peace and quiet sometimes' she chuckled lightly before taking a sip of her wine. Emily let out a small laugh as she cuddled closer into Alison, pulling a blanket over them as the chilled air began to make them both shiver. 'This reminds me of that weekend you came to visit me while I was at college' Alison mumbled into Emily's hair as she pulled her in closer to her chest. Emily smiled at the memory of that weekend, that seemed like so, so long ago.

 _Emily hadn't been this excited in a long time. Since her Dad had passed away, she had pretty much been taking life one day at a time, the lingering grief feeling overbearing on even the best of days. It had been six long months since Wayne Fields had left this world, and over those months, Emily had struggled. Most days, she could barely get out of bed, let alone face the task of going to class, and on the days that she was able to attend, she was switched off and unfocused. As a result, her usually high grades were dropping fast, as she flunked test after test. With every test she failed, the motivation to go to class decreased and now she was pretty much non-existent to her Professors. The one good thing that had come out of it all was how close she and Alison had become again. Their friendship had waivered slightly when she had gone off to college, leaving Alison in Rosewood, and then even more so when Alison moved to New York to attend NYU, but since her Dad's death, they had talked everyday whether it be by text, phone call or skype, and it was the conversations with the blonde woman that kept her afloat on the sinking ship she was currently living on._

' _Where are you?' Alison asked through the phone, as Emily watched the city fly past from the window of her taxi.  
'I'm not too far now I don't think' Emily guessed, smiling when she caught sight of the blonde up ahead, standing on the sidewalk. 'Oh, I see you!' she cried happily, winding down her window before leaning out and waving.  
'You dork, get your head in before it gets knocked off or something' Alison laughed, before hanging up the phone, her smile plastered on her face at the mere thought of Emily being here with her in just a few seconds. She watched as the yellow taxi pulled up just in front of her and Emily launched herself out of the doors, catching the brunette into a tight hug.  
'God I've missed you!' Alison exclaimed, as she pulled back a little and gently cupped Emily's face with her hands, inspecting her thoroughly. She had been worried about her friend over the past few months as she had seen the slow decline in the other girl's physical appearance. Some days she had circles under her eyes so big, she looked like a panda, and Alison suspected that she hadn't been eating much, because the brunette was looking thin and had begun to lose the natural curve that she had always loved. Alison was pleased to see that today, though still looking slightly gaunt, Emily wasn't looking totally unhealthy.  
'I missed you too' Emily replied with a toothy grin as she felt those electric blue eyes spark a jolt of life into her that she hadn't felt for what felt like an age.  
'Let's get your bag up to my room' Alison said with a happy sigh as she detangled herself from Emily's hands and leaned into the taxi to grab Emily's duffle bag, groaning under the weight of it. 'Jeez , you realise you're only here for a couple days, right? You didn't need to bring your entire dorm room' Alison stated as she heaved the bag onto her shoulder and bit through the strain as she made her way into the building, leading Emily by the hand to her room._

' _Welcome to my humble abode!' Alison said dramatically as she led Emily into the cramped dorm room, dropping the bag with a thud the second she was inside the room.  
'It's….cosy' Emily said slowly as she looked around at the tiny dorm room, her head cocked to the side. Emily knew from her own experience that dorm rooms could be small, but she hadn't imagined anything like this, having only ever seen Alison's wall behind the blonde whenever they skyped. Painted in a pale, beige colour, there was a single bed along one wall with a small desk squeezed in at the end, beneath the window. The other wall was taken up with a built in closet. With little more than 4 feet between the bed and the closet, there wasn't much floor space to move around in, especially not for two people.  
'It's a fucking shoebox' Alison corrected with a laugh, 'But, it beats sharing with some loser who talks in their sleep'  
'Yeah, my first roommate was a sleep talker. I found out way more than I bargained for about her' Emily replied with a chuckle as she perched herself on the edge of Alison's bed, looking around the room at the small, personal touches the blonde had added. The bed was dressed in cream coloured bedsheets, with a pattern of Eiffel Towers and French words printed in grey, accompanied by an array of cushions. The desk was bare except for a pink laptop, with a small photo frame beside it. Emily smiled when she saw it was a picture of the two of them, Emily holding Alison on her back as they both smiled to the camera. It had been taken the summer that Alison had disappeared, and was the last photo they had taken of just the two of them together. Alison watched Emily curiously as the brunette took in the room. Alison could see past the smile and happy exterior on Emily's face. She could see the pain that hid behind her shining eyes, the tiredness in her face that hid behind a smile. Alison could read it all, and she wished she could take some of the pain from her, if even just for a little while. But, Emily was here for a good weekend, and Alison was going to give her exactly that. _

_They spent the afternoon in Alison's dorm catching up on gossip, chatting about life and just enjoying being in each other's company, before Alison mentioned a party that was happening over at one of the frat houses. Usually Emily wouldn't set foot in a frat party, purely because she didn't enjoy spending her time brushing off the advances of drunk, horny jocks, but with Alison there, Emily was pretty sure she'd hit up a slaughter house if the blonde wanted her to. And so, the girls got themselves looking suitably hot, with Emily settling on black skinny jeans paired with a white, satin blouse, showing just enough of her envious cleavage, and heeled ankle boots. Alison settled on a short, tight, black dress, which clung to her curves in all the right way, paired with black heels. Emily hadn't been able to keep her eyes off of the blonde, gulping slightly when she first set eyes on her robust cleavage, which was practically waiting to burst out of the tight fabric around it, and Alison had almost called the whole night off and suggested they just strip and spend the night in her bed, when she saw Emily, revelling in her beauty as her light curls framed her face and her long lashes brushed against her cheekbones when she blinked. But, Emily hadn't come to New York for them to cross that thin line they had been treading on for so many years, and Alison wasn't about to cross it, not right away anyway._

 _The party hadn't been as painful as Emily had thought it would be. The guys were actually pretty funny, and weren't totally unbearable, and Alison seemed to be pretty friendly with a few of them. She enjoyed getting an insight into how her friend spent her time, and by the sounds of it she spent more time with the guys at college than with any of the girls. As they drank and talked with the guys throughout the night, Emily found that she was having a great time, one of the guys in particular was making Emily laugh so much that she had almost thought she would pee her pants on several occasions.  
'I gotta pee' Alison announced as she left the group, intoxication evident in the way she staggered slightly as she made her way through the crowded house. Emily laughed at her, wondering briefly if she should follow the blonde, but Alison was a big girl and could look after herself, plus she didn't want it to seem weird that she would follow her friend to the bathroom.  
'-So I'm there, this absolute babe dancing up on me, I got a boner the size of my fucking forearm, and I'm thinking she's a stripper right? There's no way she's gonna do anything about this. But then she's unzipping my pants with her teeth-'  
'You ok?' Emily hears the voice in her ear as Calum, the guy that had been making her laugh all evening, slides beside her, taking the space that Alison had previously occupied.  
'Yeah, just. This guy has an awful lot of sex stories' Emily chuckled as she looked at the guy beside her, the two of them leaning against the kitchen counter.  
'Yeah well, I wouldn't believe everything Tommy says. Despite what he might say, his imagination is the only big thing about him' Calum replied with a smirk, causing Emily to choke on her drink as she laughed mid-swallow. 'Woah there, you still breathing?' Calum laughed as he patted Emily on the back whilst she tried to cough up the beer that was stuck in her throat and wipe the excess off of her chin. Emily nodded as she giggled at herself, her cheeks blushing in embarrassment. As she turned to say something to Calum, she got caught off guard by the intensity in his dull green eyes, causing Emily to gulp nervously. Before her mind even had time to register what had happened, Calum's lips were on Emily's. Her eyes widened in shock at the feeling as she tried to pull back, but Calum's hand grabbed at her waist, holding her in place.  
'Get off' Emily mumbled against his lips, trying with all her strength to push him off, but the more she struggled, the more he seemed spurred on. Emily's heart was racing as she began to panic, praying that someone would help her, but the four boys around her began to cheer, thinking their friend was getting off with the hot girl. Emily felt a sudden anger rise inside of her at the boys actions and how they seemed to think they had a claim on her, and as Alison walked back to the group, her eyes bugging at the sight of Calum and Emily kissing, Emily lifted her knee hard into Calum's groin, causing him to double up in pain, his hands clutching at his balls as he wheezed. The four guys around them sucked in hissed air through gritted teeth and groaned as Calum gasped in pain, while Ali froze in shock. She had rounded a corner to find Emily lip locking with a guy, which was confusing and also a little bit painful to see, only for Emily to knee him so hard, his balls practically flew back up inside of him, which showed that clearly the brunette wasn't welcoming of the kiss in the first place.  
'Next time a girl tells you to get off, maybe you should take the hint' Emily growled at him, before pouring her drink over his head and storming out of the house. Alison wasn't sure if she was more angry at Calum for trying it on with Emily, or more turned on with Emily for acting like a freaking rock star and kicking that slime bag's ass. Alison turned and followed Emily out of the house, catching up with her in the front yard._

' _Em, wait' Alison called, reaching out to grab Emily's arm as the brunette was about to walk out of the gate. When she turned, Alison was met with stormy eyes. She hadn't seen anger like that on Emily since the days of –A, and it caught her off guard for a second. 'Are you ok?'  
'Do I look like I'm ok?' Emily shouted, causing Alison's eyebrows to shoot up in shock. Emily took a deep breath to calm herself, knowing that she was lashing out at the wrong person. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout at you' she apologised softly, shaking her head.  
'It's ok. You're angry, I get it' Alison replied sincerely. 'I'm honestly trying to stop myself from going back in there and giving him another kick in the balls, though I'm pretty sure you hit them so hard, they're floating in his freaking stomach' Alison added, causing Emily to crack a smile as she chuckled lightly at Alison.  
'Why, were you jealous?' she teased, poking Alison in the ribs playfully.  
'No, of course not' Alison retorted unconvincingly, furrowing her eyebrows for maximum effect as she crossed her arms over her chest.  
'You were, weren't you' Emily pushed more seriously, her smile dropping from her face instantly. Emily knew when Alison was lying, and they had been in situations like this before but Emily had always been too afraid to say anything, and so had brushed it off, but they were both drunk, and Emily had no inhibitions when she had alcohol on board. Emily saw the blush creep up Alison's face and as she they caught eye contact, Emily felt as though she could suddenly read everything in Alison's mind. Both girls' hearts were beating fast, and as Alison's eyes flicked to Emily's lips, Emily found herself subconsciously biting on her bottom lip seductively. As Alison watched Emily's bottom lip pull slowly from between her teeth, she found herself wrapping her hand around the brunette's neck and pulling her in, their lips crashing together in a heated, hungry kiss, and she knew that she would hate herself for it tomorrow but she was drunk, and it felt good, and she figured that they would deal with tomorrow, tomorrow. _

'Where are we going?' Emily asked, causing Alison to roll her eyes playfully.  
'For the twelfth time, Em. It's a surprise!' Alison replied, as they strolled down the street hand in hand.  
'And for the twelfth time, Ali. I don't like surprises. C'mon, just tell me' Emily begged, turning into Alison so she was walking backwards. Emily moved in closer so that their bodies were barely touching, and Alison could feel the heat of her breath on her face. Alison's breath hitched at the sudden closeness as she looked up into Emily's eyes, their lips barely inches apart. Emily looked down at Alison, her eyes filled with lust, and it took all Alison's resolve not to cave in.  
'I'm not telling you' she husked, her breath whispering over Emily's lips, and Emily had to do everything not to pick the smaller woman up and run back to the hotel with her. Alison leaned up and placed a soft kiss to Emily's lips, before pulling away and breaking the eye contact, causing Emily to groan.  
'Come on, we're almost there anyway' Alison chuckled as she pulled Emily down the street. As they turned a corner, Emily was met by the sight of a candle lit barge sitting on the side of a small port along the Hudson River. On the barge was a single table with two chairs, a small counter with a drinks fridge and a violinist.  
'Ali' Emily gushed, speechless for words. 'Ali, this is beautiful' Emily turned to Alison, their eyes locking, and Emily didn't know what to possibly say to her wife.  
'Well, I have the most beautiful wife and I wanted to do something equally as beautiful for her birthday' Alison replied with a loving smile. 'Happy Birthday, babe.' Alison leaned up and pulled Emily into a soft, slow kiss, transferring all of her love for the other woman through her lips, before she pulled back and gently guided Emily onto the barge.

'Are you hungry?' Alison asked as they looked at each other across the table, the stars glittering the sky above them.  
'We have food?' Emily asked in confusion. 'There aren't any menus'  
'You really think that after all this time, I need menus to arrange a dinner for you?' Alison scoffed playfully with a cocked eyebrow, before reaching for Emily's hands over the table between them.  
'No, I guess not' Emily chuckled. 'So, what are we eating?' Alison smiled, before looking over to the waiter, who was standing beside the small bar, signalling him to bring the food over.  
'Well, originally I was going to go for something fancy and French, but then there's nothing romantic about slurping snails. Plus, as much as I wanted to throw you a beautiful, expensive dinner, I knew that you probably wouldn't enjoy it anyway. You'd pretend to, but you would enjoy something else so much better' Alison hinted, watching as the Waiter brought over a silver platter with a large, domed lid on top.  
'You're food, my ladies' he said as he placed the large serving tray onto the centre of the table. When he lifted the lid, Emily couldn't help but laugh. Alison had arranged for all of her favourite fast foods to be served on the same plate.  
'Oh my god, you're crazy' Emily giggled as she looked down with hungry eyes, the mixture of smells hitting her. Big Macs and Fries from McDonalds, Hot Dogs and shakes from Five Guys, Wings from KFC and Pizza from Emily's favourite Pizzeria in New York, Arturo's.  
'Well, I know how much you love your junk food, so I figured, why not go all out for your big day?' Alison replied with a chuckle. Emily was a fiend when it came to fast food, which Alison had always found crazy, since Emily was so health conscious most of the time.  
'I love you so much' Emily said happily as she lifted a slice of pizza to her mouth.  
'I honestly don't even know if you were saying that to me, or the pizza' Alison joked with a smile.  
'I was talking to the pizza. You're ok though, I suppose' Emily joked back with a smirk, crying out with laughter when Alison gently kicked her under the table.  
'You're such an ass' Alison laughed.  
'I'm a hot piece of ass, thank you very much' Emily replied with a wink, before taking a huge bite of pizza.  
'Yeah, even when you're chowing down like a freaking Rottweiler, you're hot' Alison agreed, her head tilted to the side as she looked on at Emily in wonder. How had she, Alison DiLaurentis, managed to bag the most beautiful girl in Rosewood?  
'What are you looking at?' Emily asked through a mouthful of food, her hand politely covering her mouth.  
'Nothing. I'm just admiring how beautiful my wife is' Alison replied with a smile as she picked up a French fry and took a bite. Emily blushed at this, as she tucked into a chicken wing.

You think Hanna's doing ok with the kids?' Emily asked thoughtfully. She was missing the children now, after having been away for them for two whole days now. She wasn't used to being away from them for so long, and even though they had skyped them before Hanna put them to bed just a few hours ago, she couldn't wait to get back and hold them in her arms.  
'I'm sure she's doing fine. She text me a little while ago to tell me they were asleep and have been as good as gold' Alison replied with a knowing smile. She too was missing the children, but unlike Emily, Alison embraced the chance to have a little freedom, whereas Emily tended to spend her whole time thinking about them. 'Hanna's great with the kids, you don't need to worry'  
'Yeah I know, I'm just- You know, Jude's still so small. What if something happens?' Emily asks, suddenly worrying about Jude choking in the night or something and getting rushed to the hospital.  
'Jude will be just fine, and we're not a million miles away if anything does happen' Alison replied instantly, grabbing Emily's hand across the table to calm her Wife before she ended up panicking so much that they would end up cancelling the rest of their getaway and heading home to pick up the children.  
'Yeah, you're right' Emily sighed, relaxing into Alison's touch as the blonde massaged small circles into her palm with her thumb.  
'I know something that will distract you' Alison said with a smile as she pulled her hands away from Emily's and grabbed her purse from beside the chair. She rummaged through while Emily looked on curiously, before Alison seemingly found what she was looking for. She pulled out a small square box, wrapped in silver wrapping paper and slid it across the table to Emily.  
'Happy birthday, Em' she said as she handed the present over to Emily, her smile widening.  
'Ali, you didn't have to get me anything, you already did so much' Emily protested, glancing around to the barge that they were on to emphasize her point.  
'Emily, I wasn't going to not get you a present on your birthday, and it's a big one. I wanted to make it special for you. Now will you please take the present' Alison practically begged, her arm still holding out the small box. Emily rolled her eyes and smiled as she leaned over and took the box from Alison. She unwrapped it carefully, causing Alison to giggle. Emily hated ripping wrapping paper. She appreciated the sentimentality of someone taking the time to carefully wrap something so that it looked beautiful, she wasn't about to burst in there and rip that up. In Emily's eyes, it was like ripping someone's artwork when they were finished. Once the box was unwrapped, Emily opened the jewellery box to find a white gold bracelet with two large hearts intertwined, followed by three smaller hearts. On the bigger hearts were Emily and Alison's names, and on the smaller ones were Grace, Lily and Jude's.  
'Ali, this is so beautiful' Emily gasped, looking up at Alison. 'I can't believe you thought of this'  
'Well, I just wanted you to always feel like we're with you, even when we're apart' Alison replied as she gently removed the bracelet from the box and gingerly clasped it around Emily's wrist.  
'I love you so much, Emily' Alison said softly, her words resounding as though they were the first time she ever said them.  
'I love you too, Ali' Emily replied, tears brimming in her eyes. 'Thank you for the best birthday ever'

Alison and Emily stumbled back to the hotel, the alcohol from the night causing their vision to blur slightly and walking was becoming a task. Alison giggled when Emily fumbled with the room key, pulling the card in and out of the slot several times in order to get that pesky green light to flash so they could enter. Once the door was open, Alison staggered in, followed by Emily. She pushed the door shut and pinned Alison to the wall, attacking her lips with hungry kisses, causing Alison to let out a loud moan as she tangled her fingers in brunette hair. Both women's purses were thrown to the ground as they tried to detangle themselves from as much clothing as possible. Emily pulled Alison's dress up and over her head, an action that Alison reciprocated, tugging at Emily's tight bandage dress until the item was removed. Both women kicked off their heels and Alison reached around with one hand to unclasp Emily's bra before removing her own. Emily trailed her mouth to Alison's neck, her teeth biting at pale flesh. The alcohol was making Emily want to ravage Alison's body and she knew that tonight, they wouldn't be making love, it would be pure, unadulterated fucking.

As Emily's lips lowered further down to Alison's chest, Emily lifted the smaller woman and carried her to the bed, as Alison arched her chest further into Emily's mouth. She moaned as Emily's teeth nipped at the skin and her mouth sucked hard at her soft breasts, and she knew it would leave a mark but god she didn't care. Emily lowered Alison to the bed before settling over her, her mouth still attached to one of Alison's nipples while her tongue flicked back and forth over the sensitive nub. Emily's hands trailed over every inch of Alison's skin, leaving Goosebumps in their wake and Alison loved how Emily made her feel, but before her hand could reach that special place between her legs, Alison hooked her leg over Emily's waist and rolled them over.  
'Ah-uh, tonight is all about you' Alison explained before capturing Emily's lips with her own again before she could protest. Her hands trailed up Emily's long, tanned thighs, her nails digging into the flesh, leaving scratches behind them. As her fingers drew dangerously close, Alison teased them over Emily's folds, causing the brunette to groan in frustration at them being so close to where she needed them.  
'Ali, please just-' A moan rippled from Emily's lips as Alison's fingers thrust deep inside of her. Emily's nails dug into Alison's back, causing the blonde to bite down hard on her neck before sucking and kissing the spot.  
'Fuck, you feel so good' Alison husked into Emily's shoulder as her fingers pumped in and out, the heel of her hand just bumping against Emily's clit, and Emily thought she was going to explode in passion. Her hands roamed Alison's back, grabbing at her ass in need of something to hold on to.

'Harder'  
Alison complied with this simple moan and shifted her position to get a better angle, before speeding up her movements, her two fingers thrusting deeper into Emily. Alison looked down at the brunette beneath her, the passion she was in visible from the way she squeezed her eyes closed and her mouth hung open as she left out soft, breathless pants and moans. Alison bit down on her bottom lip before adding a third finger, causing a satisfying gasp from Emily as she adjusted to the new addition. Emily was slick and hot and Alison loved the feeling of her fingers inside of the woman, and she quickly adjusted to the third finger. Alison slowed her motions just long enough for Emily to get used to the feeling of the third finger, before she added a fourth, causing Emily's brow to crease at yet another addition.  
'Fuck Ali, are you trying to kill me?' Emily moaned, though it felt good. Alison was now knuckle deep with four fingers inside of Emily, and it felt amazing to feel all of her insides, and Emily had never felt so satisfyingly full. She gasped as Alison's thumb flicked over her clit, hitting the perfect spot every time. Alison could feel Emily contract around her fingers as she slowly drew them in and out, and she knew that the brunette was close to reaching her high. She softly moved her fingers inside and gradually sped up her movements, her thumb hitting Emily's clit with every thrust, and Emily's moans grew louder by the second. Alison sat back and watched in awe as Emily came undone around her fingers, her walls tightening and god Ali loved that feeling.  
'Fuck' Emily moaned loudly into the quiet room, her breath panting as her body shook beneath Alison.

Emily grabbed at Alison's neck, pulling her forward and into a searing kiss, their tongues battling vigorously.  
'God, I love you. I love you so fucking much' Emily moaned into Alison's mouth, her orgasm still washing over her as Alison's hands slipped out of her and rested at her side.  
'I love you too' Alison replied, her words mumbled under Emily's lips as she fell to the brunettes side and pulled her in close. She could feel her Wife's heart pounding from the intense orgasm, and Alison briefly wondered if they'd still be like this when they were old and grey.  
'I can't believe we're now women in our thirties' Alison said into the silence.  
'I know. Married with three kids and in our thirties. We're getting old' Emily chuckled sleepily into Alison's shoulder.  
'Well, I'm glad that I'll be growing old with you. I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else' Alison sighed as she pulled Emily in closer, tiredness seeping over them. A dull ache was still very much present between her legs, but Alison figured they had all morning before they had to check out, to go for round 2. Right now, she was happy holding her girl and sleeping the rest of the night away.


	11. With or Without You

**Heyyyy! So this is a bit of a shorter chapter than what I usually write, but I literally just did not know where to go with it. It's something I've had in mind for a while that I wanted to write, but I got complete writers block with it. I promise that I have some awesome chapter ideas coming up, so stay tuned for those!**

 **Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

Emily peered through her rear view mirror, smiling at Jude when she saw that the two year old was fast asleep in his baby carrier. She had picked the toddler up from her Mom's around half an hour ago, and the little brunette boy was already struggling to fight off sleep when she had arrived. Realising that she only had a half hour until she had to pick the girls up from school, Emily had just decided to drive around the small town for a while and let him drift off. She and Alison had discovered when he was just a few weeks old, that their son loved being in the car and seemed to fall asleep quickly. For almost six months, Emily and Alison had resorted to 4am drives around town in order to settle the little boy whenever he had a restless night, which was most nights during the early days.

Emily pulled up beside the Elementary school and put the car into park before hopping out of it and making her way closer to the school. She didn't go too far, keeping one eye on Jude in the back seat, whilst she waited for her daughters. She searched through the crowds of young children, who were all flocking for their parents and guardians, finally catching a glimpse of a smiling brunette and shorter blonde girl running towards her.  
'Hey girls, how was your day?' Emily asked Lily and Ava as they stopped in front of her. Emily spotted their interlinked hands and couldn't help but smile. They were inseparable, which was how Emily had ended up with a fourth child to pick up and feed most evenings. She was pretty sure that Ava spent more time at their house than she did her own.  
'It was ok. Ava got kissed on the cheek by Charlie Parsons' Lily stated, a look of disgust evident on her face. Emily rose an eyebrow in surprise at this information.  
'Ava, do your Mom and Dad know that you're kissing boys already?' Emily asked in amusement, knowing full well that even if Hanna didn't freak out at this information, Caleb definitely would.  
'I didn't kiss him, he kissed me!' Ava protested with a look of horror on her face, which caused Emily to chuckle lightly.

'Hey Momma' Grace greeted as she made her way over to the group, dragging her bag behind her on the grass. Emily looked over with narrowed eyes when she saw that Grace's dress was muddy and slightly torn, and her hair resembled a bird's nest.  
'Grace, what happened?' Emily asked, frowning at her daughter's dishevelled appearance.  
'Nothing, I was just playing soccer at lunch' Grace explained, knowing full well that her Mom would think she had been up to something more.  
'Grace, promise me you wasn't fighting' Emily sighed, hoping that she wasn't about to get yet another call from the Principle regarding her daughter's inability to keep her hands to herself.  
'No, I promise!' Grace assured, looking her Mom in the eye. Emily relaxed a little, seeing that Grace wasn't lying to her, but still feeling a little frustrated that her 8 year old had ruined yet another outfit.  
'Ok. Come on, get in the car' Emily replied as she turned and led the way back to the car where Jude was still sleeping. Grace jumped up front with Emily, while Lily and Ava sat in the back giggling to each other.  
'So, do you want to for a swim tonight?' Emily asked Grace as she began the short drive home. Grace's eyes lit up at the suggestion.  
'Yeah' Grace replied in excitement. She loved her swim sessions with her Mom, and Emily loved that it tuckered Grace out enough that they could have a peaceful evening.  
'Ok, as soon as your Mom gets home, we'll head off' Emily replied, glancing at Grace. 'Grace, I'm sorry that I assumed you were fighting' Emily apologised, feeling bad that she had jumped to conclusions.  
'It's ok' the smaller brunette shrugged in response.

When they reached the house, Emily carried Jude in and placed him on the couch to continue his nap.  
'Girls, you're going to have to watch TV in the den, I don't want you waking Jude' Emily told the three girls as they headed into the living room. The three girls all let out a groan in response and headed towards the back of the house, causing Emily to shake her head in amusement. She was just about to turn to begin doing some house chores, when the door opened. Emily turned in confusion to see who had come inside, to see Alison standing there, her face in a state of shock.

'Hey, babe. I wasn't expecting you home so soon' Emily stated, before spotting that Alison was pale as a sheet and shaking. 'Ali, what's wrong?' Emily asked, freezing in her position of the kitchen doorway. Alison silently made her way through the house and stopped at the kitchen counter, shakily placing her hands on the surface to support herself.  
'Ali, what's going on?' Emily asked again as she grew increasingly worried about her Wife.  
'My- My Dad died' Alison stuttered out, as though in disbelief. Emily's eyes widened at this news. Alison hadn't spoken to her Dad in years, not since the whole Charlotte debacle, so she couldn't even imagine how her wife was feeling in this moment.  
'What? Oh my god' Emily breathed as she moved closer and took Alison into her arms, turning the woman around to face her so she could look into her eyes. Emily could see all of the confliction and pain in those beautiful blue eyes that she could read novels through.  
'I haven't seen him in what, thirteen years. And now he's gone' Alison whispered. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about it. Her relationship with her dad was a complicated one, and she hadn't even spoken to him in over ten years, let alone seen him. At this point in her life, he was relatively a stranger. He had had nothing to do with her life for the past Thirteen years. Had never seen his grandchildren, he hadn't attended their wedding, hell he hadn't even so much as sent a Christmas or Birthday card. This man had cut all ties with her, for wanting to have a relationship with her sister. How was she supposed to feel about him dying, when he was a non-existent presence in her life?

' _How can you turn your back on her? She's your daughter!' Alison screamed across the room, her cheeks glowing red with anger.  
'She's no daughter of mine' Ken hollered back. 'How can you even support her? After all that she's done to you?' His anger was matching his daughters, and if anyone ever wondered where Alison DiLaurentis got her temper and attitude from, they would have their questions answered with just a glimpse of this show down.  
'She only did those things because you treated her like shit! You threw her into a fucking mental home and threw away the key!' Alison spat, still disgusted at the thought that her own Father, who had always been so kind and loving to her, could be so cruel and horrific to his own flesh and blood.  
'Alison, this woman tried to kill you!' Ken protested. 'I can't support anything to do with her. If you bring her into this family then I want no part of it!'  
'You haven't been a part of this family for years. You're away more than you are at home, it won't make much of a difference to me' Alison scoffed, as though his threat meant nothing to her, though secretly she was praying that he wouldn't leave her. She felt like a scared little girl, screaming for her Daddy to come back. But Alison DiLaurentis was stubborn and strong willed, and she wasn't going to be the crying girl in the corner. She grabbed her coat and keys and headed towards the door.  
'Where are you going?' Ken shouted as he followed her.  
'To Welby!' Alison screamed back at him.  
'Alison, if you walk out that door, I swear to god-' Alison swung around at these words as she ripped the door open, her eyes flashing dangerously at the threat from her father.  
'What are you going to do? Leave!? As if that's a fucking threat to me' Alison growled as she slammed the door behind her and walked out into the brisk, winter's air. _

_And that was how Alison left her relationship with her Dad. A screamed reply and the slam of a door. He left a few days after that, claiming that he had to move away 'for business'. Alison called bullshit, he had been looking for an excuse to leave her and Jason alone for a long time, he just saw this as the easy way out._

Emily handed Alison a cup of Tea and sat beside her on the sofa, placing her hand comfortingly on Alison's thigh.  
'Thanks' Alison mumbled as she took the cup from her Wife.  
'So, what happened?' Emily asked softly as she leaned sideways into the back of the sofa and rested her elbow across the top, her fingers gently combing through Alison's blonde hair.  
'Jason said it was a heart attack' Alison replied, her voice tinged with just a hint of sadness. 'Am I a monster if I don't feel like this is going to destroy my world?' Alison asked as she looked up into Emily's eyes. She thought about how broken Emily was when she had lost her Dad. How she couldn't get out of bed in the morning, and how everyday tasks were a struggle. She thought of times she had received a phone call from the other side of the country, where the brunette sobbed on the other end of the phone. Alison remembered the pain and hurt she saw in Emily's eyes, and she knew that she didn't even feel an ounce of that.  
'No, Ali. It doesn't make you a monster. You feel how you feel, and you can't help that' Emily reassured. 'He may have been your Dad, but he hasn't had an ounce of an input in our lives. He hasn't been around. He let you down over and over again, Ali. It's not unnatural to feel something about that'  
'I feel sad, don't get me wrong. He's still my dad after all, but I just feel more confused than anything. Like, I don't feel sad that he's gone because he was never around anyway, I just feel sad that I'll never have the chance to try to make things right with him' Alison explained and Emily nodded in understanding.  
'I know, babe' Emily replied simply, because what could she say to her wife who was hurting? Sure, she herself had been through the loss of her own Father, but she had had an entirely different relationship with her Dad, than what Alison had with hers. The only thing she did know was that it didn't matter what she said right now, because nothing could change the facts of the situation and nothing could take away the emotions that Alison was feeling. All Emily could do was be there for her Wife and support her however she needed. Emily pulled Alison into her, wrapping her arms around the other woman's frame, and placed a kiss to her head. They sat in silence, wrapped up in each other as Alison tried to comprehend her feelings.  
'Momma, are we still going for a swim?' Grace asked as she rounded the living room door, an expectant look on her face. Emily hated that she would have to let her daughter down, but she knew that she needed to be home with Alison.  
'Sorry, sweetie. We're going to have to give it a miss tonight' Emily replied apologetically.  
'Whatever' Grace replied with an eye roll, before leaving the room and stomping up the stairs.  
'Since when did we have a teenager in the house?' Alison groaned, knowing that they would be paying for this later.

The next few days were strange for the whole family. Alison hadn't mentioned her Dad at all since the day she had found out. Instead she continued with her everyday life as though nothing had happened, though with much more anger and aggression than usual, which caused alarm bells to ring in Emily's head. She knew that everyone grieved in different ways, and sure Alison's loss was entirely different to the average person's parental loss, but Emily was sure that this wasn't exactly normal behaviour. She just want's sure how to broach the subject, and so the two women flitted around each other, with neither woman talking about the huge purple elephant that was almost suffocating them from the corner of the room. Grace and Lily had also picked up on the tense atmosphere in the house, and both girls had pretty much resided at Hanna's house since Alison had found out about her Dad.  
'Hey Jason' Emily greeted Alison's brother as she showed him into the house and through to the living room, where Alison was sat trying to dress a fussing Jude.  
'Jude, would you stay still so I can get your pants on?' Alison groaned in frustration. She had been on edge for days, and Emily was just waiting for her to blow up. 'Em, can you take him. I just can't deal with this right now' Alison sighed in frustration as she got up from the couch and let Emily take her place. Emily sat on the couch, her own frustration beginning to mount, and got the toddler dressed in seconds, before placing him down and watching him run over to Jason.  
'Unca Jase' Jude said happily as he lifted his arms to be picked up by Jason.  
'Hey, little guy' Jason replied with a small smile as he lifted the smaller brunette child from the floor and mussed his hair, causing Jude to giggle.  
'Why are you here, Jason?' Alison snapped, her arms crossed tightly across her chest as she turned to face her brother.  
'I came to talk to you about the funeral' Jason replied, his own DiLaurentis attitude peeking at his little sisters tone.  
'I told you, I'm not going. I don't want anything to do with it' Alison huffed as she looked around the room for something to focus on other than her brother's angry glare.  
'You've gotta be fucking kidding me, Ali! I thought you'd have seen sense by now' Jason yelled, causing Jude to look alarmed. 'This is our Father we're talking about here, not the fucking mail man'  
'He might as well be the mail man, maybe I'd have had a better relationship with him. Daily visits, the occasional hello. Instead I got radio silence for thirteen years. Not even a congratulations when I gave birth, or when I got married. We didn't all get balloons and a cake, and get to play happy families with Grandpa Ken' Alison shouted angrily. Jude began to cry at the sudden yelling, his eyes flashing in fear. Alison moved forward to take Jude, but Emily beat her to it.  
'I've got him' Emily snapped as she glared at Alison and Jason. 'You two seriously need to sort your shit, and preferably not in front of our children' she glared again at Alison in warning. Alison's eyes dropped guiltily as Emily turned away and took Jude upstairs to soothe him. Alison knew how Emily felt about shouting around the children, and yet here she was having a screaming match with her brother, while their two year old son was in the middle.  
'Em' Alison called feebly after Emily.  
'I don't wanna hear it, Ali!' Emily called back. She knew that Alison was going through a tough time, and she understood her wife's anger, but Alison was pushing her away again and was quickly reverting back to the version of herself that Emily hated the most, and she wasn't about to sit around and be Alison's punching bag again.

'So that's what this is all about, huh? Because I had a relationship with Dad and you didn't?' Jason asked, his voice softer now.  
'He didn't give a shit, Jason. He never cared. Not once did he reach out. He knew that I had the twins, that Emily and I got married. He knew that we had Jude, and he didn't even send so much as a text to show his support' Alison replied sadly, her voice much lower and her tone much less angry. 'Emily and I struggled through having to raise two babies. We had almost no money, everything that was going on with Mary Drake and A to deal with. We were still so young, Jason, and we had to do it all with almost no support. Em's Mom was a rockstar and she has such a great relationship with the girls. Hanna, Aria and Spencer chipped in as much as they could, and all I wanted was someone of my own family that I could turn to. But Dad was too busy playing happy families with you, to care about me and my family' Jason felt as though he had been sucker punched in the gut. He had never realised that Alison felt this way. She hadn't really spoken to him about their Dad, and had pretty much blown Jason off whenever he brought the topic of conversation up.  
'Ali, I'm sorry. I never realised' Jason replied in shock.  
'Yeah well, it sucked ok. So I'm sorry if I'm not grieving the way that you want me to, but I'm angry with him for not dropping the whole business with Charlotte and just reaching out to me, and now he's fucking dead and I'll never get to fix that relationship' Alison stated, her voice still low. 'I've lost both of my parents, Jason. And I didn't get to say goodbye to either of them' Alison added, her voice barely a whisper now as tears sprung to her eyes.  
'Oh, Ali' Jason hushed as he wrapped his arms around his sister and pulled her in to a tight hug. 'I'm sorry'

Things had been tense with Emily and Alison for the rest of the day, the brunette still pissed with Alison for her earlier screaming match in front of Jude.  
'Em, please talk to me' Alison begged as she got into the bed beside Emily, who had her back turned to Alison. Emily sighed and turned to face her wife. She didn't want to be mad at her and she knew she should cut the other woman some slack because of everything that is going on, but she wasn't about to let Alison get away with talking to people like shit.  
'Ali, I just- I don't even know what to say to you right now' Emily sighed as she looked into Alison's eyes. 'The past few days have been so hard, and I'm trying to be patient because I know you're going through a hard time. But every day, you're becoming more and more like the person you used to be. I don't love you any less, but I can't live with you being like that, I won't. Not when I know you're so much more than a few bitchy comments and a screaming match'  
'I'm sorry, Emily' Alison apologised, not knowing what else to say. She hadn't realised that she was acting the way Emily had described, and she felt disgusted in herself for allowing herself to slip back into old habits so easily.  
'Ali, it's ok. I understand why you felt the need to push people away. It's just, not easy for me to deal with' Emily replied, her frustration and anger suddenly falling apart the second she saw the regret and sadness fill Alison's eyes. 'I love you, and I'm not going anywhere'  
'I love you too' Alison replied as she leaned into Emily to kiss her, needing to feel her lips against her own.  
'I'm sorry for being mad' Emily whispered against Alison's lips, before closing in to capture them again. The kiss soon heated up, with Alison straddling Emily's hips and her hands grasping at clothes in an attempt to rip them off.

'Ali, are you sure you don't want to go to this funeral?' Emily asked. It was the morning that Kenneth DiLaurentis was to be buried, and Alison was still adamant that she did not want to go.  
'I'm sure. I won't get anything from going' Alison replied as she bit down on the corner of her toast. Emily placed two bowls of cereal in front of Lily and Grace as she contemplated Alison's words.  
'I know that you feel that way now, but one day you're going to regret not saying goodbye' Emily countered, as she placed a plate of cut up toast in front of Jude and turned to lean against the counter, grabbing her mug of coffee in her hands. Alison sighed, they had been over this time and time again in the past week, and each time it had gone the exact same way.  
'Em, I needed to say goodbye years ago. It's too late for that now' Alison stated sadly. She had made her mind up, and Emily knew that her wife was stubborn enough to stick with that decision, whether she knew it was the right one or not.

Alison sat in her car outside of the small, Rosewood church and watched the small group of people enter, all dressed in black. She had told Emily she needed to go for a drive to clear her head, not intending to find herself sitting outside of the church where her Father's funeral was about to take place. Alison found herself getting out of the car as the funeral attendees began to enter the church. An overwhelming sense of sadness hit her as she walked through the doors that she had walked through thousands of times before, and when she set her eyes on the black, polished coffin sitting at the top of the altar, all the grief that Alison had been holding in and masking with anger, came rushing to the surface. She sat in the back pew as she let out a strangled sob, hot tears burning her eyes until her vision was blurred. A person scooted in beside her and laced their fingers with hers, causing her to jump a little.  
'It's just me' came Emily's soft voice.  
'How did you know I'd be here?' Alison asked in shock. She hadn't even known she would be coming here herself, so how Emily had known was beyond her.  
'Because I know you better than you know yourself' Emily whispered back to her as she leaned over and gently brushed the tears from beneath Alison's eyes with her thumbs. 'And we can stay, or we can go. That's your choice to make. You just tell me what you want to do'  
'I think I'd like to stay' Alison whispered in response.

Alison and Emily drove their separate cars home from the church, leaving Alison alone for the first time since she had broken down in the pew. She had finally put years of pent up anger at her Father aside, and let herself feel sad about the fact that he was gone, and strangely it felt nice. She felt liberated from years of feeling let down by the man who should have protected her and supported her through life, and after years of hating him she had allowed herself to love him through the grief that she was feeling. As she pulled up to the house, she saw that Emily was already parked up in front. Alison turned the car off and walked over to her wife, who was waiting beside her own car, and wrapped her hand around the back of her neck, pulling the brunette in for a slow kiss.  
'What was that for?' Emily breathed when they parted.  
'You were right. If I hadn't gone to say goodbye, I would have regretted it. Thank you for knowing me better than I know myself' Alison replied with a small smile.  
'Anytime' Emily breathed, before taking Alison back in for a longer, deeper kiss.


	12. Smackdown

**Hiiii! I hope you're all well! AS always, thank you for the comments, favourites and follows!  
So, I've jumped forward in time a little, purely because I wanted to get on to the more exciting teenage Grace and Lily chapters that I have planned. If you thought they were hard work as children, you've seen nothing yet!  
This is a little shorter than usual, but it's short and sweet. Anyway, enjoy! **

* * *

'Hey, babe. How was your day?' Emily asked as she made her way into Alison's classroom, being sure to check that there wasn't any students lurking before she leaned down to give her wife a peck on the lips.  
'it's better now that I'm seeing your face' Alison hummed against Emily's lips, causing the brunette to chuckle lightly before pulling away.  
'Well, how about you and I head home, we'll send the kids to Spencer's and we can have some alone time?' Emily husked as her eyes flicked suggestively between Alison's eyes and lips, causing her to blush a little.  
'As amazing as that sounds, I'm going to be stuck here for a while' Alison groaned sadly, pouting her lips out apologetically to Emily, who couldn't quite hide the disappointment on her face enough for Alison to miss it. 'I'm sorry babe, it's just so busy right now with Finals coming up'  
'I know, I know. I'm sorry, I don't want you to feel guilty. I just miss you, we've been like passing ships lately' Emily replied as she toyed with Alison's fingers with her own.  
'I know babe, but it won't be for much longer, I promise' Alison replied reassuringly.

'Um, Mrs DiLaurentis-Fields?'  
'Yes?' Both Alison and Emily replied as they turned to the door to see the young, female student in the doorway.  
'What is it, Alexis?' Alison asked, when she realised that the student was one of her own.  
'Um, could I talk to you for a second?' Alexis asked, eyeing Emily nervously. Emily caught Alison's eye, and though she wished she could stay to help this girl with whatever problems she seemed to have, she knew that it wasn't her place to intervene.  
'I'll just catch up with you later, ok?' Emily stated to Alison, before leaving the room and closing the door behind her. Alison watched Emily walk out of the room and down the hall, before turning her attention back onto the 9th grader who looked like she was about to sob.  
'Alexis, what's wrong?' Alison asked, her tone laced with worry for the young brunette.  
'Someone sent me this' Alexis whispered before pulling her phone out and flashing it to Alison.

'Hello?' Emily said into her phone.  
'Hi this is Sylvia from Rosewood Middle School, could I speak with Mrs DiLaurentis-Fields, please?' came a voice from the other end of the line.  
'This is she' Emily sighed, knowing full well that this probably had something to do with Grace. 'What has Grace done this time?' She asked with a grimace.

Emily arrived at the school in record time, cursing silently at whatever trouble Grace had gotten herself into this time. Emily pulled up into the parking lot and made her way over to the Principal's office, where she was shocked and confused to see Aria and Hanna sitting beside Lily, Grace, Ava and Sawyer.  
'What the hell?' Emily exclaimed, a questioning look evident on her face.  
'Don't look at us, we got a call just like you' Hanna replied with annoyance as she glared at Ava, who avoided her Mother's gaze by looking at the floor. Lily was practically hiding in Ava's shoulder and Sawyer had her eyes focused on the floor. Grace however, was sitting with her head held high, and Emily didn't need to be a brain surgeon to figure out that whatever had happened today, was probably orchestrated by her.

'Mrs DiLaurentis-Fields, Mrs Fitz and Mrs Rivers. Would you please join me?' Principal Middleton called the women through, who all looked at each other nervously.  
'Why do I feel like I'm about to be expelled?' Hanna muttered to the other women, as the four girls followed their mothers into the room. Hanna, Aria and Emily sat in the seats opposite the Principal's desk, while their daughter's stood behind them, all sheepishly looking at each other.  
'So, I suppose you're all wondering why you're here?' The older woman asked as she sat at her seat with a serious expression on her face.  
'I think I have an idea' Emily stated with a sigh.  
'Wanna share with the class there, Em? Because I've got no clue' Hanna stated loudly, causing Aria to glare at her. Principal Middleton cleared her throat to get their attention again.  
'I called you here because of an incident that happened with your daughters today at Lunch. Girls, do you care to tell your Mother's what happened, or should I?' She asked, directing her attention to the four teenagers. Lily and Sawyer all avoided the gaze of their Principal, whilst Grace and Ava looked her in the eye, though admittedly Grace had much more confidence in her stance than her younger, blonder counterpart.

'Grace?' Emily questioned as she noticed the significant different between Grace's stance and the rest of the girls.  
'I punched Chelsea Tomlins in the face' Grace replied nonchalantly as she continued to look Principal Middleton in the eye, her jaw clenched tight. Emily looked at her daughter in disbelief. Grace had a habit of getting into fights, but she had never been so casual and unapologetic for her actions.  
'Ave?' Hanna questioned, as she looked up at her daughter for more information. Ava looked Hanna in the eyes and gulped.  
'I um, I had a fight with Bridget Morrissey' Ava said, her voice quieter and much less confident that Grace's.  
'Ava, what the fuck!?' Hanna exclaimed loudly, causing a dangerous glare from the Principal. Hanna shrunk back in her chair, feeling she was the one who was about to get into trouble.  
'So what about you Sawyer? Were you involved in this' Aria asked dubiously, but also wondering what on Earth her sweet, quiet daughter could possibly have to do with this situation.  
'I helped Ava to fight Bridget Morrissey' Sawyer practically whispered.  
'What? Seriously Sawyer? You know better than to fight!' Aria scolded her daughter, whose head was now hung so low, she was practically doubled in half. Emily couldn't help but wonder what had happened for the girls to get into, what seemed like a full scale brawl. Grace, she wasn't the least bit surprised in, and she knew that Ava had a bit of a feisty streak when she wanted, but Sawyer had never so much as raised a hand to anyone in her life.  
'What about you, Lily?' Emily asked curiously, wondering what Lily could have done. Emily knew her daughter, and there was no way in the hell that Lily was capable of fighting anyone.  
'I started the fight' Lily answered after a few moments of silence, causing Emily's eyebrows to shoot up her forehead.  
'Wow, talk about a plot twist' Hanna mumbled, earning another glare from Aria.

'I'd just like to know what happened, that caused me to have two 8th graders in the hospital, and two very angry sets of parents' Principal Middleton sighed as she rubbed her temples with her fingers, feeling exasperated by the group of women that were sitting in her office.  
'Wait, these girls were 8th graders?' Hanna asked, and Emily didn't miss the slight look of pride that made its way onto Hanna's face at this face. She was sure she'd heard Hanna mumble 'badass' low enough for nobody to hear,  
'Yes they were' Principal Middleton confirmed. 'And these two girls have stated that it was an unprovoked attack, but a witness to the incident has told me differently. I'd like to know if the girls' story confirms this'

Emily looked at the girls, willing one of them to speak up and say what really happened, because she knew these girls and knew that they wouldn't jump two girls for the fun of it. Something must have provoked it.  
'Lily? What happened?' Emily asked her daughter, the one she knew it would be easiest to crack. Lily looked at her Mom with fear and sadness in her eyes. She didn't want to be the person to repeat back what those girls had said, she couldn't. So she looked to Grace, needing support from her sister as she silently pleaded for help.  
'Ava and Lily were standing at Lily's locker, and Bridget and Chelsea came over. They said to Ava that she should be careful hanging out with Lily, because she's probably a-' Grace stopped to pause for a moment, looking into her Mom's eyes before continuing, knowing that what she was about to say would hurt her. As much as she knew that their other Mom would hit the roof and go crazy at what she was about to repeat, she half wished that Alison were here instead of Emily.  
'What did she say, Grace?' Emily asked. Her voice was dangerously low, she already knew where this was going.  
'She said that Lily is probably a- probably a filthy rug muncher like her Moms' Grace finally managed to say, her heart hurting at the pain and anger that flashed in her Mom's eyes.

'Stupid little bitches got what was coming to them' Hanna muttered as the group walked down the hall. Emily had hardly said two words to the girls since she had discovered what had caused them to fight, and she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about it.  
'Hanna, I don't think it's really the right time' Aria stated warningly.  
'Look, all I know is that if they're big enough to shout their mouths off, they're big enough to get a slap or two' Hanna replied, anger filling her at the thought of the homophobic comment that the two girls had said to Ava and Lily, about her tow best friends. It was a double whammy in Hanna's eyes.  
'Han, just leave it' Emily pleaded softly as she looked over to Hanna. One look into those eyes quelled the fire that was growing in Hanna, because Emily look so incredibly hurt and conflicted, that Hanna couldn't bare to bring any more pain to her friend.

'Grace, will Momma be ok' Lily whispered as they walked behind the older women. Grace looked to Lily with uncertainty in her eyes.  
'I don't know, Lil. All I know is that once Mom finds out about this, she's going to go ape' Grace stated, causing Lily to gulp at the thought. Lily grabbed at Ava's hand, who was walking beside her.  
'It'll be ok, Lil. Don't worry' Ava whispered, flashing the slightly taller brunette a smile and Lily couldn't help but return it.  
'God, you two make me sick' Grace groaned as she rolled her eyes at the two girls beside her, before crossing over the front of the small group and linking arms with Sawyer.  
'My Mom and Dad are going to be so pissed at me' Sawyer whispered to Grace.  
'Hey, you fought like a pro today. Don't let the haters get you down' Grace replied with a cheeky wink, causing Sawyer to giggle at the younger girl.

Emily still didn't say a word to the girls on their car journey home, and the twins were beginning to grow nervous. Emily had called her Mom, asking her to have Jude for a couple hours, which of course the older woman was more than happy to oblige. Grace and Lily spent the next hour trying to watch the TV, while Emily flitted around the house, apparently unable to sit still. When Alison arrived home, it was like she brought a storm with her, and Emily was dreading what was about to come because Alison having a bad day was the last thing she needed to add on to the shit storm that was this afternoon.  
'Hey' Emily greeted cautiously, looking her wife up and down to get a read on her overall mood.  
'Hey' Alison groaned as she sat at the table.  
'How was your day?' Emily asked. The twins watched from the other room at the two women's unusually short and snappy conversation. Grace thought that someone should come strap the house down to the ground, because the roof was about to blow off any second now.  
'Well, Alexis, the girl you saw come to my room today?' Alison started, her tone filled with anger. 'She's being bullied by someone in the school, who keep sending her disgusting homophobic messages' Alison ranted. 'I swear to god, if I find out who it is, I'll-'  
'Ali' Emily interrupted her, her voice weak and sad. It pulled Alison from her rant and her face filled with concern for Emily, who she was looking at for the first time since she had come into the house.  
'Babe, what's wrong?' Alison asked, her voice suddenly soft and comforting.  
'I don't know if I should tell you' Emily half whispered, closing her eyes tight shut as she took in a deep breath and tried to compose herself, because she knew that she had to tell Alison.  
'Tell me what, Em?' Alison asked, her tone even more worried than before.  
'I got a call from the school today. Lily started a fight with two 8th graders' Emily started, and Alison's eyebrows shot up in surprise because the second she had heard that Emily had received a call from the school, Alison had assumed it was about Grace. 'Grace, Ava and Sawyer got involved. The two girls ended up in the hospital, one of them with a broken nose' Emily explained.  
'Ok, so why were you so worried about telling me this? I mean, I'm shocked as hell that Lily started a fight, but Grace gets into fights all the time. Getting a call to the principal's office is pretty much in my daily routine at this point' Alison quipped.  
'The fight started because one of the two girls made a homophobic remark to Lily and Ava, about us' Emily said, her eyes closed tight as she waited for Alison to blow up.

Alison felt the anger rise up inside of her, she wanted to find whoever had made those remarks and destroy them. But one look at Emily stopped her from unleashing her high school self on a pair of 8th graders. Emily, with her eyes so full of pain that someone would say something to hurt their daughters, did not need to deal with pulling Alison off of a 14 year old.  
'Ok. What did the Principal say?' Alison asked calmly, and Emily, Lily and Grace were all stunned at the blonde woman's lack of explosive anger. Lily and Grace watched with cautious eyes, waiting for the volcano within their mother to erupt.  
'Um, she suspended all six girls for two weeks. It'll be on their permanent records' Emily stated anxiously. She had never seen Alison this dangerously calm in a situation like this before, especially since she had just dealt with a situation at school with a pupil that was directly homophobic.  
'Ok. Girls, come here please' Alison called, and both girls scrambled to their mothers, not wanting to piss off either of them in this unchartered territory.  
'Are you both ok?' Alison asked, and Lily and Grace could see how soft her eyes were, not a hint of anger in them. They were filled with nothing but love for her daughters, and both girls visibly relaxed at the sight.  
'Yeah'  
'Yeah, we're fine'  
'I'm sorry that those girls said those things to you, but that's not an excuse to attack them' Alison stated, and Emily was absolutely stunned into silence, because her own anger about the situation made her want to find those girls herself and personally give them another beating.  
'But Mom, the things they said about you were awful' Grace protested, anger still pulsing through her at the thought of anyone saying anything about her Mothers.  
'I know, and that doesn't make it right. But what you need to remember is that whether you give them the biggest ass beating of their lives or you turn away and ignore them, you're not going to change their ignorant, uneducated minds' Alison said in a soft, but firm tone. She understood her daughters' actions, because once upon a time she would have been right there along side them, kicking the shit out of those two girls, but she also knew that once upon a time she was one of those two girls, spouting off offensive insults to people and not considering the consequences. It was the love of Emily that had made her the open, accepting and loving woman that she was today, and that was what Alison wanted to pass on to her children. The ability to be open and accepting and loving of everyone, regardless of who they were or what they might think. She didn't want to raise three children who thought it was acceptable to beat down every person who might disagree with them, even if their opinion was bigoted or offensive.

Emily had never felt so much love for the woman in front of her, and seeing how far she had come over the years made her so proud to call Alison her wife. She remembers the days that Alison was the Queen of mean, and also the days that she would make someone's life hell for doing exactly what those two girls did today. Yet here she was telling their daughters that violence was not the way to fix things. Lashing out would not help a situation. Here was Alison DiLaurentis-Fields, telling their 12 year old daughters to accept someone, even if their opinions were vile and offensive, because everyone was deserving of acceptance.  
'Sorry, Mom' Lily said sadly, her head hung low.  
'Yeah, sorry Mom. I wont do it again' Grace repeated, flashing her Mom a soft smile, that reminded Alison so much of Emily.  
'I love you girls so much' Alison replied as she pulled both of her daughters in for a hug. She held them for a few moments, reminiscing of the times that they both fit on one knee and she could pull them in so tight, she was scared of breaking them. The times that she and Emily wouldn't be able to get a bit of sleep because of two toddlers taking up the bed. And yet, here they were, her babies, defending them from the harsh words of other people, and despite what she had told the girls, she had never been prouder of them.

Ava sat in the front seat of the car, waiting for her Mom to say something, but so far the entire car ride had been silent and the small blonde was getting worried that she was in for big trouble when she got home. She knew how her parents felt about fighting, but this had been for a good cause.  
'Mom, am I getting grounded?' Ava finally asked, her stomach in knots with anxiety at the thought of her punishment for putting 2 girls in the hospital.  
'I don't really know Ava' Hanna sighed honestly. 'I mean, I should be grounding your ass for fighting, but at the same time I understand the reasons why you did it, and I don't want to punish you for standing up for yourself' Hanna added, and Ava could see that her Mom was conflicted and Ava knew that her Dad would have a big influence on her punishment.  
'I didn't do it because they said it to me' Ava replied softly. 'They said hurtful things about Emily and Alison. They're like family, and family stand up for one another' Ava explained, and Hanna had never felt prouder of her daughter than she did at that moment. She looked over at her daughter and placed a hand on her knee.  
'Whatever punishment you get, which I'm sorry, but you will' Hanna started, smiling when she saw Ava's disappointed face. 'Just know that I'm proud of you for today. Not of the fighting, but because you put Lily, Emily and Ali before yourself, and that is the person I want you to be'


	13. Grade 9

**Hey guys! First of all, I am so sorry this took me so long to get up, I've been really ill the last few days and ended up in the hospital with a bad chest infection but I'm back home now and have been trying to get out as much writing as possible, between sleeping. I really wanted to get this out to you guys, because I don't like to make you wait, but I am on serious meds and I honestly don't even know if it's a good chapter or not. If it's crap, I apologise but it seemed ok when I read it through, so who knows!**

 **As always thank you for the lovely comments, they really do mean the world to me and I love reading every single one of them so keep up the commenting. All you people who read this but haven't commented yet, come and join the party. We don't bite :)**

 **Also, I've been meaning to put this in the A/N for a few chapters on both my Fics now. I set up a Tumblr page under my username LoeyLoLo, where I will be posting things related to both of my fics. There isn't much there at the moment, but I will be adding to it over time, so go check it out!**

 **Anyways, I will leave you to read this risky piece of work I've written here haha!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Grace and Lily DiLaurentis-Fields sat at the table, Grace with her head in her hand while she played with the cereal in the bowl in front of her. Lily on the other hand, was excitedly flipping through a book while chewing on her toast, her eyes wide as she read the words on the page in front of her.  
'Hey girls, ready for your first day at RHS?' Emily asked cheerily, as she joined her daughters at the table.  
'Yeah, getting to spend the whole day with my Moms as my teachers, watching my every move, knowing every detail of my life? I'm positively ecstatic' Grace replied sarcastically as she rolled her eyes to look in her Mom's direction.  
'Grace, it won't be that bad' Emily sighed, knowing they weren't going to be getting over this topic for a while. Grace had begged them to let her go to a different school, but with the next closest school being four miles outside of Rosewood, and there being no school bus that came into the small town, it didn't make sense for the twins to go to a different school. It meant finding an alternative mode of transport for the twins to travel to and from school, until they were old enough to get their licenses and drive themselves, and if she was honest, Emily wasn't so keen on the idea of the girls going out so far to go to school.  
'Yeah, because Moms don't have anything better to do than watch your boring ass all day' Lily piped up with a smirk as she closed her book and placed it in her bag. Lily felt the complete opposite to her sister, she couldn't wait to start at Rosewood. In fact she was so excited, she had spent the entire summer reading her way through the summer reading list and completing the extra credit homework. Lily was determined to get ahead and after having received her schedule in the post a few days ago, she was happy to find out that Alison would be teaching her English class. Grace on the other hand, thought that this was the worst thing ever.  
'Look who's talking, nerd' Grace replied as she picked a cheerio out of her bowl and tossed it at Lily.  
'Grace, don't throw food at your sister please' Emily sighed, mentally wondering when she would have to stop telling her daughter to not throw food.

'Hey Momma' Jude called sleepily, as he made his way into the kitchen and sat himself beside Lily at the far end of the table.  
'Hey, Champ! You ready for the joys of second grade?' Emily asked as her son placed his head on the table, his eyes puffy and tired.  
'No, I'm too sleepy for school' Jude complained with a pout. 'Can't we just start next week?' he groaned.  
'Sorry, kiddo but school starts at 8:15 sharp' Alison replied with a chuckle as she placed a bowl of cereal in front of Jude, causing him to sit up straight and tuck in. Alison ruffled Jude's light, brown hair lovingly before she grabbed her coffee from the counter, leaning back into the surface. They had had a long, fun summer and Alison had to admit that even she was sad that the break was over.  
'I don't know why you guys look so sad, I can't wait to get back to school' Emily mused, noting that her wife was sporting the same glum look as Jude and Grace, while she and Lily both looked thrilled that it was the first day back to school.  
'Yeah, because you're a big dork who has always loved school' Alison replied playfully, her signature smirk peeking over her coffee cup as she looked over to her wife.  
'Ouch. Ice Queen' Grace hissed, as Lily and Jude giggled at Alison's words. Emily's eyebrow rose challengingly.  
'Oh, really. You wanna play that game, DiLaurentis?' Emily shot back, flashing Ali's signature bitch face right back at her, that Emily had earned to perfectly mimic over the years of watching Alison throw shade. Alison gulped, her eyes widening at the sight of her 'look' being thrown back at her. She wasn't sure if she was scared or aroused at Emily's fierceness.  
'Mom, I think you just got divorced' Lily snorted.  
'Hmmm, we'll see' Alison replied, her eyes narrowing as she playfully glared at Emily, who was now trying to stifle her laughter at the silliness in the room.

Grace eyed the school nervously as they pulled into the parking lot, her stomach feeling like a washing machine. She hadn't told her Moms or Lily, but she was feeling nervous about starting at the new school. Even though a lot of her friends from Middle School would be there, and she'd get to hang out with Sawyer again, the whole change of pace and environment made her anxious.  
'You ready, girls?' Alison asked, turning to face Grace, who was sat in the back of the car.  
'I can't wait' Lily replied from the front seat, the teenager practically bouncing in her seat with excitement. Grace rolled her eyes at Lily's eagerness as she pushed herself out of the car and skulked off in the direction of the building.  
'Have a nice day' Alison sarcastically called after her daughter, who didn't look back, as she and Lily got out of the car and slowly made their way into the school.  
'Ok, so do you have everything?' Alison asked, suddenly feeling nervous about her babies starting at the school that had made her, well, Alison. This was the place where she had sculpted and perfected her personality and image, it had given her the confidence to be who she wanted to be. But Alison knew that for a lot of girls, this place would chew them up, spit them out and never make them want to show their faces again, and Alison couldn't bare the thought of her daughters having anything but good experiences at this school.  
'Mom, I'm going to be fine' Lily replied with a knowing smile, and Alison sighed, wondering when her girls had gotten so grown up.

Grace walked through the packed halls, the noise of the students chatting and laughing with each other after their summer break penetrating her ears as she searched for the locker she had been assigned. She read the tiny silver tabs on each metal door, until she reached number 214. Grace juggled with her bag and the papers in her hand as she tried to input the combination she had been given, when someone bumped into her back, causing her to drop the papers across the floor.  
'Watch it!' she yelled as she turned to face the person who had knocked her papers flying across the floor, to find that the culprit was a taller, muscular boy. His emerald green eyes sparkled under the florescent hall lights, and a cheeky grin spread wide on his freckled face.  
'Woah, sorry!' he chuckled as he bent down to help Grace pick up the papers that were scattered around the floor.  
'It's fine' Grace snapped, feeling her embarrassment rise up her neck. She snatched the papers from him and stood up, ready to turn away.  
'You don't need to be pissed, it was an accident' the boy replied, his cheeky grin falling from his face at Grace's tone of voice.  
'I said it's fine' Grace stated firmly, before turning and opening her locker.  
'Rude' the boy mumbled, before walking way. Grace inhaled deeply, stuffing her head into her locker as she tried to calm herself. Her frustration was mounting rapidly at her embarrassment. She couldn't even understand why she was so embarrassed anyway.

Grace walked through the cafeteria later that day, tray in hand as she looked for somewhere to sit.  
'Grace, come sit with us' Lily called from a table, where she was sat with two other girls Grace had never seen before.  
'It's ok, I'm going to see if I can find Sawyer' Grace replied with a small head shake. She looked away and scanned the cafeteria in search of their lifelong friend.  
'Oh, she's sitting outside with her friends' Lily replied with a small smile, before going back to the two girls sitting with her. Grace paused and took in how naturally Lily had seemingly made friends, and it stung just a bit that she hadn't even really spoken to a single person the whole morning. Shaking off the heaviness in her stomach, Grace headed out through the doors to the quad, spotting Sawyer instantly.  
'Hey!' she greeted, happy to see a familiar and friendly face. Sawyer looked up from the conversation she was having with the three girls at the table, all four girls looked at her with their eyes narrowed as if they were ready to cuss out the person who had dared interrupt their conversation, startling Grace slightly at facial expression she wasn't used to receiving from her older friend.  
'Oh, hey Grace' Sawyer finally replied, her face softening. 'How's your first day going?' she asked. Grace eyed the three girls to Sawyer's right, feeling uncomfortable under their glares.  
'Um, it's going ok so far, I guess' Grace replied awkwardly. 'Can I sit with you?' she asked, though she was unsure of whether that was such a good idea now, after seeing Sawyer's friends.  
'Actually, Freshmen can't sit with Sophomores' Sawyer's redheaded friend piped up, her tone harsh and cold.  
'Yeah, it's just not the way things work around here' added the blonde girl beside her. Grace looked to Sawyer for support, but the olive skinned brunette had her eyes cast down onto the table top in front of her.  
'Oh, um. Ok, I guess I'll just catch up with you later then' Grace mumbled, before turning on her heels and heading back inside. Her heart hurt at Sawyer's difference in attitude. The older girl had always been like a big sister to her, so for her to turn her back like that was painful. Sawyer watched sadly as the younger girl headed back into the building, before getting pulled back into a conversation with her friends.

'I know, right? I honestly don't know how I'm going to handle it all' Lily replied to the mixed race girl sitting beside her. 'Oh, Grace! I thought you were sitting with Sawyer?' she questioned, her brow furrowing slightly.  
'Oh, um she was talking to her friends. I didn't want to interrupt' Grace lied as she slid into the seat opposite Lily, lacing her tray on the table top.  
'Oh well that's ok, you can just sit with us' Lily replied, flashing her sister a toothy grin. Lily knew her sister better than she knew herself, and she could see that clearly something had happened, but knew better than to push Grace for answers. 'Girls, this is Grace. Grace, this is Megan' Lily stated, pointing to the mixed race girl beside her.  
'And this is Sue' she added, pointing to the Asian girl who Grace was now sitting beside.  
'Nice to meet you' Grace greeted shyly, though she wasn't exactly sure why she was feeling so shy since she was never a shy person.  
'You too! Lily told us so much about you' Sue replied with a huge smile.  
'Oh god, like what?' Grace asked, letting out a soft chuckle. For the first time that day, the tension seemed to dissipate and Grace started to relax.  
'Nothing much, just about how close you two are and she was telling us about your Moms and your brother' Megan reeled off. 'And, you swim, right? You trying out for the swim team?'  
'You'll totally get on too, because of your Mom' Sue added and both girls let out an amused giggle, causing Grace to freeze up a little.  
'Grace is totally trying out for the team, right Grace?' Lily pushed with a warm smile.  
'Um, no. I'm not sure' Grace spluttered a reply, feeling that same uncomfortable feeling that had been sitting over her all day, return tenfold. Lily's forehead scrunched up in confusion at this unexpected news.  
'But you love to swim. Why wouldn't you try out?' Lily asked, the other two girls falling quiet, realising that they had accidentally possibly caused a problem here.  
'I just don't feel like it' Grace replied with a shrug and a look that told Lily to drop the subject. Lily let out a single airy laugh and nodded her head softly, her eyes scanning up and down her sister's face for answers, but Grace's poker face was strong and Lily wasn't getting anything from her.  
'So, what's everyone's next classes?' Megan asked far too loudly, in an attempt to clear the awkwardness that was now sitting over them.

The next few days were pretty much along the same lines as the first, and by Thursday, Grace was ready to just ditch school all together. Sawyer was avoiding her at school, and Grace had tried to call her a few times in the evenings but never seemed to get a reply from her usually very responsive friend. Lily's new friends seemed to make her happy, and she had been out practically every night after school to hang with them. Grace on the other hand walked around the school like a zombie, then went home to do homework and watch TV with Jude. There was one thing for sure, and that was that High School sucked. Only four days in and Grace was already sick of the whispering and hushed conversations, hearing her family name being dropped left right and centre. People were even out rightly asking her about her Moms, and insinuating that she wouldn't need to study because her Moms would make sure she got good grades. It was infuriating and Grace wished that if she was going to be invisible, it would be nice to actually be invisible and not conveniently invisible when it suited people.

'Hey Mom' Lily greeted as she headed into Alison's classroom.  
'Hey, Lils, how's your day going?' Alison asked, looking up from the papers on her desk with a smile. She really was loving that her daughters were in the same building as her all day long, and while Grace seemed to be trying her hardest to avoid her Mothers, Lily was embracing the fact that she had both of her parents on the faculty.  
'Yeah, it's going ok. Very different to Middle School though' Lily chuckled as she took a seat at the front of the class.  
'Yeah, it's a big change for you girls. Everything's going ok though, right?' Alison asked, suddenly nervous that her daughter was having trouble adapting.  
'Yeah, fine' Lily nodded with a smile. The two were interrupted by a group of teenagers, who were steadily making their way into the classroom, and Alison couldn't help but smile when she saw Grace moving amongst them, the young brunette making her way to the back of the class and taking a seat in the back corner. Alison couldn't help but notice that her daughter still didn't seem to be any happier about being at school, in fact she looked more distressed than she had all week.

Grace sat in the back corner with her black oversized hoody pulled up over her head, wanting to blend into the background. She'd had nothing but people whisper around her and the odd few directly ask her about her Mothers, and Grace was getting sick of it. She didn't want to be known as the daughter of the English Teacher and Swim Coach, and she was never embarrassed to have two Moms, but she didn't want everyone talking about it at the same time.  
'I don't even know why she's in this class, it's a totally unfair advantage'  
'Yeah, like Mrs D is going to fail her own daughter'  
'And she'll totally get help with her homework'  
'Or maybe Mrs D will just do it for her'  
'Shut the fuck up' Grace hissed, causing the three girls surrounding her to look at her in shock.  
'What?' asked the blonde girl beside her, her eyes narrowing at Grace's sudden interruption of their conversation.  
'I said shut the fuck up, bitch!' Grace repeated louder, this time catching the attention of more students in the classroom. Before Grace knew what was happening, the blonde girl was on her feet and Grace followed her lead, not wanting to be at a disadvantage. Alison's eyes widened at the scene that was taking place at the back of the room between her daughter and another student, whilst the room began to jibe them on.  
'What the fuck you going to do, huh? Go to your dyke Moms?' the girl shouted back, her shoulders squaring as she leaned in closer to Grace. The smaller brunette saw red, and Alison couldn't believe what she was seeing when her daughter launched herself at the blonde, the two girls toppling over the desk and to the ground in a heap. Grace's fist connected with the blonde's face, as the blonde grabbed at Grace's hair and began pulling at it. The two girls were feral and Alison was momentarily frozen into place, before the teacher and Mother in her kicked her into action.  
'Grace! Naomi!' Alison shouted as she made her way across the room. Alison grabbed her daughter by the neck of her hoody and struggled to pull Grace from on top of the other girl.

Emily walked down the hall, stopping when she heard a commotion coming from Alison's class room. She peered in through the glass window in the door, to see that the students were seemingly going haywire, and Alison was caught in the middle of some kind of brawl.  
'What is going on here!?' Emily bellowed as she made her way into the room, the students shouting and jeering coming to a halt at the sudden shout of the authoritative voice. Emily's eyes widened when she saw Alison struggling to pull Grace off of another girl. She made her way across the room in four large strides, grabbed Grace around the middle and hauled her daughter out of the classroom and into the hall.  
'What were you thinking!?' Emily demanded, her voice shaking with anger at the stunt her daughter had pulled in Alison's class.  
'She started it' Grace huffed, her arms crossing over her chest.  
'Grace, you can't just go around attacking people!' Emily shouted. 'What if she decides to press charges? What then, huh? You could get in serious trouble for this!' Grace scuffed her feet along the ground, looking at the patterned hallways floor, when Alison march Naomi out of the classroom.  
'You girls want to explain to me what that was about?' Alison asked sternly as she crossed her arms over her chest and that intimidating eyebrow cocked questioningly.  
'Why don't you ask your daughter' Naomi replied bitterly, causing Grace to glare at her. Grace noticed how Naomi's eye was beginning to swell from the punch she had given her, and the brunette couldn't help but feel a little pride at the damage she had caused.  
'Well, maybe you shouldn't be such a bitch' Grace replied confidently, causing Naomi to lunge at her. Emily grabbed Naomi by the arm and pulled her back.  
'Enough!' Emily shouted. 'Naomi, I'll let Mrs DiLaurentis-Fields deal with you. Grace, with me. Now' Emily demanded as she grabbed Grace by the forearm and marched her down the hall.

They reached Emily's office at the back of the girl's changing rooms and Emily swung the door open, shoving Grace inside before following her and closing the door behind her. Emily took a seat at her desk and sighed, holding her head in her hands for a moment, while Grace hovered by the door.  
'When are you going to stop this, Grace' Emily asked, her voice strangely soft. 'When are you going to learn that lashing out at people, isn't going to make things any better for you? I don't even know what'd going on in your head right now, but maybe if you talked about it, I could help you'  
'I don't want to talk about it' Grace groaned as she leaned back into the door, resting her head against the wooden pane.  
'Why not? We used to talk about everything. Every Sunday we'd hit the pool, burn off a few dozen laps and then talk over a hot chocolate' Emily reminisced fondly. 'You used to be able to tell me everything. What changed?' Grace couldn't help but feel slightly guilty for the way things had changed, because they had. Somewhere along the line, she had stopped hitting the pool with her Mom on a Sunday morning, and instead went alone, or not at all. If she was honest with herself, she missed spending that time with her Mom, but sometimes it just didn't seem worth it when it didn't change the way she felt about things.  
'I don't know' Grace whispered honestly, a heaviness sitting in her heart that made her uncomfortable, like she wanted to run and not look back until that feeling subsided. 'I hate this school' Grace added after a moment's silence. 'People are always whispering and talking, and I feel like I'm being watched every second of every freaking day. I just can't handle it.'

Emily remembered what that felt like. Walking around constantly aware of the eyes on you as you walked down the hall, the hushed conversations behind cupped hands, the vague feeling like you were being followed. The only difference was that she was being followed, and she was being tortured and threatened by an invisible enemy, Grace on the other hand was not. Or was she?  
'Grace, you um, you haven't had any threats or anything, have you?' Emily asked cautiously, praying that her daughter wasn't going to go through the same torment that she and the other girls had at school.  
'What? Threats? No' Grace replied, looking at Emily in confusion and it was the questioning look on her daughter's face that settled Emily.  
'Ok, good' she sighed. 'Look, maybe you're just feeling anxious. You know, new school, new teachers, new people. It's a huge adjustment' Emily stated. 'You know, maybe get involved in a few things, get talking to people. Make some friends'  
'I don't want to make friends, I have friends' Grace replied, thinking of Sawyer. She wondered though, did she really have friends, since Sawyer hadn't talked to her all week long and she was beginning to wonder if her friend had changed for the worse.  
'You can never have too many friends, Grace' Emily pointed out with a small smile. 'You know, I noticed that you didn't sign up for the swim team. I'm not going to lie, I was disappointed to not see your name on the sign-up sheet.' Grace sighed, she knew that this was going to be brought up.  
'I didn't want to sign-up because I didn't want people to think I got on the team because you're the coach' Grace admitted sadly. It had been a hard decision to make, because she really had wanted to be on the swim team. She loved swimming with her Mom, and being on her Mom's swim team and trying to break her Mom's records was something she had dreamed about since she was paddling around in floaties.  
'Who cares what people think? Let them think what they want. The second they see you in that pool, they'll know that you're there because you deserve to be there. The only thing I helped you out with is genetics' Emily stated proudly, causing Grace's lips to curve into a small smile. 'Besides, your team mates will have your back and they'll be some of the best friends you could ever have' Emily added, remembering fondly how she and her team would swim after hours and hit the brew after a long practice. She thought back to the very last swim meet before she graduated, and how even though she was assistant coach at the time, the team still pulled her into the pool fully clothed to celebrate their victory.  
'Ok, I'll sign-up' Grace relented, smirking when Emily cheered.  
'Thank you. Now, go back to class. Apologise to your Mom, and please. No more fighting' Emily begged, her eyes pleading with Grace to behave.  
'Ok. I'm sorry Mom'

As the next week passed, Grace put more effort into actually talking to the people around her. She was starting to find that on the whole, people weren't so bad, and while people mentioned her Moms to her, she realised that it was only because they didn't know more about her to talk to her about. Grace quickly came to the realisation that she would always be known as the daughter of a teacher and the swim coach, so she decided to use it to her advantage.  
'Hey, Grace' came a male voice from behind her. Grace turned from her locker, smiling when she saw the owner of the deep voice, his bright green eyes shining in that way that seemed to make her go weak at the knees.  
'Hey, Aaron' Grace replied, her voice slightly higher pitched than usual, as it always seemed to be whenever she spoke to the older boy. After their first encounter, Aaron tried relentlessly to make it up to Grace, and since his locker was only across the hall, he had taken every opportunity between classes to bump into the smaller brunette. Grace gave in after only a couple of days, and now they were on pretty friendly terms. Grace looked forward to going into school in the mornings, and had taken to running in early and changing at school, just as an excuse to bump into him.  
'How was basketball practice last night?' Grace asked as she eyed the Fifteen year old's biceps bulging in the sleeves of his Abercrombie T-Shirt.  
'Coach kicked our asses around the court for two hours. It was fun' he replied sarcastically, causing Grace to chuckle. 'When do you find out about the swim team?' he asked with a smile.  
'Oh I found out this morning. I'm totally on it' Grace replied cockily, her confidence soaring due to the attention from the sandy haired boy.  
'Sweet. So does this mean I get to check you out in a swimsuit?' Aaron replied flirtatiously, causing Grace's cheeks to blush at the sudden forwardness of the older teen.  
'Um, excuse me. There will be no checking anyone out in swimsuits, Mr Foster. Thank you very much' Alison interrupted, causing Aaron's face to suddenly drain of all colour.  
'Uh, Grace. I'll catch up with you later' Aaron stuttered, before scarpering down the hall and into the crowd.  
'Mom, why'd you do that?' Grace groaned. 'He's so cute. Dumb, but cute' she added with a chuckle.  
'Hmm, he's too old for you' Alison hummed. 'Besides, I just wanted to congratulate my baby on making the swim team. Mom told me this morning' Alison added with a proud smile, before pulling Grace into a tight hug.  
'Thanks Mom. I can't wait to get into the pool' Grace stated, her voice filled with excitement. 'I need to seriously get training. Hit the gym, get some cardio in. Mom's going to come up with a training plan for me' Grace informed Alison, her grin spread wide on her face, and though Alison wasn't sure how she felt about her daughter being put through a vigorous training routine, after all she was only fourteen, Alison was so happy to see her daughter smiling that she didn't have the heart to take it away.

'Grace, hey' Sawyer's voice came from down the hall, causing Alison and Grace to turn in the direction of the frizzy haired brunette.  
'Hey' Grace replied curtly, not bothering to look Sawyer in the eye.  
'I'll leave you girls to it' Alison stated softly, patting Grace on the shoulder to remind her to be nice. Grace had told Emily and Alison about how Sawyer was acting strange, and the two older women had told their daughter that it could be that Sawyer was feeling anxious about having her personal and school lives crossing for the first time. Sure, she had Alison and Emily around during the day, but it would be the first time she would have to choose between her school friends and the girls, who were practically like family. Deciding to take her Mom's words on board, Grace had given Sawyer space, and decided that should Sawyer come to her, they would talk it out. It seemed that this was the time.  
'I heard you got onto the swim team. Congratulations' Sawyer offered awkwardly as she stopped beside Grace, who now had her head buried in her locker.  
'Thanks' Grace replied simply, still refusing to look at Sawyer, though she was now running out of things to shove in her already pretty full bag.  
'Grace, I'm sorry' Sawyer sighed after a minute of awkward silence between the two girls. I shouldn't have put the girls before you' she tried, and Grace felt bad, leaving her friend hanging out like sinking ship.  
'No, it's fine' she finally relented, slamming her locker door shut to finally look Sawyer in the eye. 'I know you've got friends at school, Sawyer. I get it, and I don't want to intrude on your space. It's just, it was my first day and I was nervous, and I just needed a friendly face to help get me through. And then you didn't even answer your phone or text me back' Grace added, the frustration of the past 2 weeks rushing out of her like word vomit.  
'I know, I'm sorry. I just got carried away' Sawyer replied sadly. 'It's a shit excuse, but it's the truth. You know I love you, Gracie' Sawyer added, outing her lips playfully. Grace couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle at the other girl's playfulness.  
'I love you too, Soy-Soy' Grace replied, calling Sawyer by her childhood nickname as she pulled the older girl in for a hug.  
'Are we friends again?' Sawyer asked sheepishly when they parted.  
'You couldn't get rid of me that easy, Fitz. You're family' Grace replied with a smile, nudging Grace as they headed down the hall together. Sawyer laughed, happy that they were back to the way things should be.  
'So, I saw you've got yourself some man-candy' Sawyer stated as she linked arms with Grace. 'Aaron Foster. Such a catch'  
'Right? He's so cute. He's a total dumbass though. The other day, he asked me if an egg was a fruit or a vegetable' Grace chuckled, causing Sawyer to cackle. The two girls walked to their classes arm in arm, laughing the whole way down the long halls of Rosewood High. Grace was finally beginning to feel positive about High School. She was making friends, she had a cute guy friend, she was on the swim team and was starting to enjoy her classes, but best of all, she had Sawyer by her side and that was just perfect.


	14. In My Place

**Hi guys! So, I know it's been a week since my last update and I apologise for that. As always, thank you to each and every single one of you that have commented, favourited and followed, it really does mean the world to me that you're all enjoying Emison's journey, and that you're enjoying Lily and Grace so much! I am trying to get Jude a little more involved, but to be honest I'm finding him hard to write for at the moment. I haven't really decided what his personality will be like... if anyone has any suggestions then hit me up!**

 **P.S, what did you all think of my vision for what the children look like? PLL Next Gen are looking good, right?**

 **Anyway, I wont ramble forever, but just a little about this chapter. I'm actually really nervous posting this because it is a sensitive topic, therefore it does have a TRIGGER WARNING. I did so much research for this chapter, I might as well have been writing an entire fic, because jesus did I researched. I literally watched tv shows that I've never even heard of, to research good ways to approach this subject and how to do it in a sensitive manner. I don't want this to offend anyone and I definitely don't want to be disrespectful, so please know that however this chapter is perceived, there are no ill intentions behind it.**

 **So, I really hope that you like this chapter. Please comment and let me know what you think, or feel free to PM me!**

 **Lo xx**

* * *

Grace punched in her locker combination and swung the metal door open, the inside of the door littered with pictures of her and Lily, Lily and Ava, the three of them with Sawyer and of course a picture of Grace and Aaron. They had been officially dating for a little over six months now and things seemed to be going well. He made her laugh, he treated her right and he made her happy, which was great because as dubious as her Moms had been about her dating a slightly older guy, they seemed to like Aaron too and he was at the house almost every day. He was great with Jude, who seemed to idolise Aaron, and the way he played with her younger brother made Grace like him even more. He just seemed too good to be true.  
'Hey' came a voice, as two arms wrapped around her from behind. Grace let out a small scream at the sudden intruder, but settled instantly when she realised who it was.  
'Hey, Aaron' she greeted, a dopey smile settling across her face as she turned in his arms and hooked her own around his neck.  
'How's my girl this morning? All ready for your big meet tonight?' He asked as he looked down at Grace, who was pretty much putty in his hands at this point.  
'Yeah, I'm so ready to break my Mom's record' Grace replied confidently. She had been training extra hard for this meet. It was a big one, where there would be scouts from colleges, and even though she still had a year or so before she had to think about that, Grace was eager to impress them and make sure that her name was firmly on their minds when it came to next year's scouting.  
'Course you will, you rock!' Aaron encouraged her, before leaning in to place a soft kiss on her lips.

'Ahem' someone cleared their throat, causing Grace and Aaron to break apart. Grace turned to see Emily standing there with one eyebrow raised and her hands on her hips.  
'Aaron, would you please remove yourself from my daughter? She needs to get herself to class' Emily stated firmly but playfully.  
'Sorry Coach' Aaron replied sheepishly, removing his arms from around Grace's waist and creating some distance between them. Grace pouted at the sudden loss of her boyfriend's arms wrapped around her, causing Emily to chuckle at how smitten her daughter was.  
'It's fine. Will you be coming with us for dinner tonight, Aaron?' Emily asked, noticing how Grace's eyes lit up at the invitation.  
'Uh, yeah I guess' Aaron replied, looking to Grace for confirmation. 'Only if that's ok with you?' he asked her, not wanting to intrude on family time.  
'He'll be joining us' Grace stated excitedly, practically bouncing on the spot at the thought of her boyfriend coming for dinner with them.  
'Ok then. Get to class and I'll see you later for the meet' Emily chuckled before leaving Grace and Aaron to say their goodbyes. It was still hard for Emily to believe how quickly her girls had grown up, and the fact that they were now Fifteen was scary. In a few years they would be leaving for college and Alison and Emily would be left with just Jude. The thought of the girls not living at home anymore made Emily feel sad, like there was a sudden emptiness in her heart that hadn't been there since before that day that Alison finally admitted how she felt about her. That day had seemed to bring everything together for Emily. The woman she had loved for as long as she could remember, was finally ready to be hers completely and they were going to have a family together. It was everything that fourteen year old Emily had wished for, but never in a million years thought she could have.

'Hey!' came a voice, pulling Emily from her thoughts. She looked up to see Hanna walking down the hall with Oscar, Harper and Ava following her.  
'Hey guys! What are you doing here? Ready for high school already boys?' Emily asked the two nine year olds with a smile.  
'No, Mom had to come see Ava's teacher because she's too stupid for school' Oscar replied with a vicious laugh, causing Ava to slap him on the back of the head.  
'Oz, don't be an asshole' Ava retorted, causing Harper to howl at the siblings.  
'Guys, you're giving me a migraine. Both of you shut the fuck up or neither of you will be doing well in school because you'll be lying in a shallow grave somewhere' Hanna snapped, causing Emily to raise her eyebrows in surprise.  
'Fine, I'm going to find Lily before class' Ava replied with an eye roll before skulking down the hall.  
'God she's a pain in my ass' Hanna moaned as she watched her daughter disappear around the corner.  
'She's a teenager Han, and if I remember correctly, you were just as sassy and insufferable as she is' Emily stated with a smirk. Hanna went to argue but snapped her mouth shut at the memories of the shit she pulled on her Mom all those years ago.  
'Well, at least she's not shop lifting' Hanna stated with a shrug, causing Emily to laugh and nod in agreement.

Lily stuffed a book into her bag before closing her locker. She turned to see Ava bouncing down the hall in the skin tight skinny jeans and a red tank top that was tight over her already voluptuous bust. Lily couldn't help but chuckle at a group of Freshman boys, who were practically drooling over the blonde as she walked past them, her hips swaying like she was a catwalk model. At fourteen years old, Ava Rivers already oozed more confidence and sex appeal than a twenty-something woman, and the boys of Rosewood couldn't get enough of her. She was stunning, fashionable, funny and feisty, and she looked a hell of a lot older than fourteen, that was for sure.  
'Hey good looking' Ava greeted Lily, leaning in to place a kiss on her cheek as she stopped by Lily's locker.  
'Hey hot stuff' Lily shot back, reciprocating the kiss. 'How did it go with your Mom and Mr Marshall?' Lily asked.  
'Oh, it was great. First year of High School and he already thinks I'm a screw up' Ava replied, leaning back into the lockers with her arms crossed over her chest. 'You know, everyone makes such a fuss about Math, but what's the big deal? So you can add shit up and work stuff out? So can a calculator!' Ava ranted, causing Lily to laugh.  
'You've got a point' Lily humoured Ava, tilting her head to one side as if considering Ava's well thought point. 'But, if you ever want to get Mr Marshall and your Mom off your back, then I could tutor you? Get you up a grade point or two' Lily offered.  
'Wait, you're good at Math?' Ava asked, straightening herself up. 'Who am I kidding, of course you're good a Math! You're a freaking Brainiac!' Ava added, shaking her head slightly as if to straighten out her thoughts.  
'Well I'm no calculator, but I know enough to help get your grades up' Lily replied with a shrug.  
'Oh my god, I could kiss you' Ava stated excitedly, practically jumping up and down on the spot  
'I'll take that as a yes then?' Lily asked, laughing as Ava pulled her into a tight hug.  
'One hundred percent, yes! Thank you' Ava almost screamed into Lily's ear.

Ava pulled herself away from Lily long enough for her to spot Sawyer walking down the hall with a guy that she had never seen before.  
'Hey, Lil? Who's that guy with Sawyer?' Ava asked, tapping Lily's arm to get her attention. Lily turned to see Sawyer with a slim, brunette boy. He looked jumpy and jittery, and Sawyer looked to be having a seriously deep conversation with him.  
'I don't know. Is that her new boyfriend?' Lily asked, causing Ava's eyebrows to shoot up.  
'If that's her new boyfriend then Sawyer seriously needs to go back to Jake, because he was way hot and this guy is just, not' Ava stated.  
'Hey Sawyer!' Lily called as Sawyer walked past them. Sawyer looked in their direction and waved without stopping.  
'That was weird' Ava remarked as they watched Sawyer and the guy turn the corner of the hall.  
'Maybe she's in a rush' Lily offered with a shrug. 'Whatever, we'll grill her later after the meet. You're still coming, right?' Lily asked hopefully.  
'As if I'd miss our favourite fish kicking everyone's asses' Ava replied with a smile. 'She's aiming for your Mom's record, right?' Ava asked as they began to make their way down the hall.  
'Yeah. Mom said she has a pretty good shot too!' Lily replied proudly.

'Max, come on. Things can't be that bad' Sawyer assured as she walked through the halls with her Science partner. He wasn't the usual kind of person that she would hang out with, he was a little too nerdy for her taste, but there was something about him that made Sawyer want to get to know him.  
'You don't understand. You're popular' Max scoffed, his head hung low as they weaved between students.  
'I wouldn't exactly say that I'm popular' Sawyer countered, causing Max to let out a low chuckle.  
'You're totally popular. You hang out with the cheerleaders, your ex-boyfriend was on the Football Team and you're stupidly pretty' Max blurted, his cheeks blushing at his admission.  
'You think I'm pretty?' Sawyer asked, one eyebrow cocked in surprise at this statement.  
'Uh yeah, I guess. Which is why you shouldn't hang out with me' Max stated awkwardly as he sped up his movements.  
'Why?' Sawyer questioned as she tried to speed up to keep up with him. They passed Alison's classroom and Sawyer glanced in to see the blonde woman preparing for her first class, before moving on to catch up with Max.  
'Max, wait!' Sawyer called as she practically ran after him, only stopping when they reached his locker. 'What did you mean by that back there?' she asked as she tried to catch her breath.  
'Don't say I didn't warn you' Max stated as he opened his locker.

Alison hummed to herself as she walked around her room, placing a pop quiz on each student's desk. Alison was sure that more than half her class had failed to read the first four chapters of To Kill A Mockingbird, which she had asked them to do over two weeks ago, and her classes had practically become a shambles since. The same students had all the answers to her questions and were thriving in her lessons, whilst the rest seemed disengaged and disinterested. In an effort to change her lesson plans and get those students more engaged and excited about the book, Alison thought a pop quiz was needed to understand what exactly her students knew and what they needed more hep understanding. She was almost finished placing the papers out on the desks when a loud bang rang through the school. Alison's head shot up at the sound, a chill running down her spine as it was followed by another bang and screaming.

Grace was heading towards the Science Labs when a loud bang rang through the halls, followed by screams.  
'No' she whispered to herself, knowing instantly what this meant. They had heard about it happening at other schools, they had even had drills to prepare for it happening here at Rosewood, but never in a million years did Grace actually think it could happen. Not in Rosewood, the tiny suburban town in Southern Phili. Grace looked around, trying to spot someone she knew, needing to be close to a familiar face, but she found herself surrounded by a sea of strangers as students ran through the halls, their screams growing louder by the second as yet another shot went off. Grace turned on her heels and slipped down through a deserted corridor in search of a place to hide.

Emily slammed her office door shut, pulling down the blind before scooting into a corner. She had never experienced anything like this, and she hoped that it was all a mistake because this was scary as hell and all Emily could think about was the fact that her wife and kids were in this building. Emily took a few deep breaths, feeling the panic rising inside of her.  
'It'll be ok' she whispered to herself. Emily pulled her phone out and instantly tapped in Alison's number, stopping herself just before she hit call. It dawned on Emily that she couldn't call her wife or her daughters; it would put them in more danger if their phones rang out loud. Instead, she unlocked her office door, peering round the edge of the doorframe, before walking out of the office.

Lily and Ava froze in place as students began to run past them, each and every one of them letting out bloodcurdling screams.  
'Come on' Ava pulled Lily down the hall, following the crowd of students. They moved along the hall with the flow, suddenly coming to a standstill when another loud gunshot was let off. The students screams grew louder and people began to run in all directions. Lily searched quickly for somewhere to hide, spotting a broom closet down back down the way they had come from.  
'Come with me' Lily said quietly, pulling Ava back down the hall and into the broom closet. Lily pulled the door shut behind her and peered around in the dark. Lily grabbed a bucket and flipped it upside down before gently pushing Ava down to sit on it.  
'We should be ok here, we just have to stay quiet' Lily whispered. Her heart was pounding so hard, she could hear it and the blood rushing in her ears was making her feel hot.  
'Lily, do you think everyone will be ok?' Ava asked, her voice shaking with fear. Lily closed her eyes at the question, the same question that had been running through her mind. Lily didn't want to think about Grace and her Moms, who were caught up somewhere in this chaos.  
'I hope so' she whispered back, before sliding down the wall and falling to the ground with her knees tucked into her chest.

Hanna held Oscar and Harper's hands tight, pulling them along the hall to find a classroom that she could hide in with them. She finally reached Alison's class, silently thanking God that the room hadn't been locked yet.  
'Ali?' Hanna called out as she pushed the boys into the room and followed them in, closing the door behind her.  
'Hanna? What are you doing here?' Alison asked softly as she rushed across the room to her friend. Alison wrapped her arms around Hanna, she had never been so happy to see the other blonde woman.  
'I had a meeting. Forget about that, are you ok?' Hanna asked, pulling back to inspect Alison.  
'Yeah, I'm fine. Are you? The boys?' Alison rambled as she looked from Hanna to the two boys, who were still clutching at Hanna's side.  
'We're ok. Boys, come here' Hanna instructed as she led the two boys to a corner of the room, where several other students were cowering. Hanna sat the boys and told them to stay, before she began to help Alison and the other Male teacher in the room, begin to barricade the doors and pull the blinds. Alison's hands shook as the panic and worry within her rose by the second, her mind firmly with the fact that her daughters and Emily were somewhere in the school.  
'Ali' Hanna whispered, taking Alison's shaking hands into her own. 'They're going to be ok' Hanna assured, knowing exactly where Alison's mind was. Alison nodded before turning back to push a desk against a door.

Grace walked the now deserted halls of Rosewood High. The sudden silence was deafening and creepy as hell, and Grace could feel the goose pimples rising on her neck. She stopped at a classroom door and knocked softly.  
'Hello? Please let me in' she called quietly, only to be met with hushed whispers from the other side of the door, but nobody opened. She continued this pattern as she moved from door to door, growing more anxious every second as she made her way through the school, praying that she didn't bump into the crazy person who had decided to bring a gun into school. The more rooms she went to, only to be left outside in the danger of the hall, the more Grace's hope began to fade and the more her panic began to rise. She soon realised that there was no way she was going to get into a classroom that had already been occupied, and she guessed that there was a strong chance most of them already had. Grace decided that her best bet was the make her way to the pool and hide out in her Mom's office. The only problem with that, was that the pool was the other side of the school.

Emily left her office and made her way through the girl's changing rooms to find three of the girls from her swim team hiding in the showers.  
'Girls, come with me' she called softly, causing the girls to jump and one of them to let out a small whimper. Emily pulled back the shower curtain to reveal the three sophomores huddled together.  
'It's ok, I'm going to protect you' she hushed, gesturing for the girls to follow her. Emily led them to her office and beckoned them all in.  
'Ok, I want you to stay low, stay quiet and whatever happens, do not open this door' she instructed firmly, causing the three girls to nod furiously. 'Good, ok. I need to go but stay here and Courtney, do you have your phone?' she asked, looking to the taller, red headed girl.  
'Yes' Courtney squeaked through her tears.  
'Ok, can you call 911 please? Tell them there is a shooter in the school and where you're hiding, the police will come get you' Emily instructed. 'Remember what I said, do not open this door' Emily added, before she left the office, locking the door behind her. Emily took a deep breathe before she began to make her way through the school.

'Lily?' Ava whispered into the darkness, her hands clutched together tightly on her knees.  
'Yeah?' Lily replied, her voice husky from the lack of talking. She wasn't sure how long they had been there, it felt like hours but she knew in reality it could well have only been a half hour.  
'It's gone quiet' Ava stated simply.  
'Yeah' Lily replied, knowing what Ava was implying. It could be over. The shooter could have been caught, could be dead. Everyone could be dead for all they knew.  
'I honestly thought we were going to die today' Ava said after a few minutes of silence had passed. 'I'm too young to die' she added, her voice almost haunting.  
'You're not going to die today, Ava. Not for a long time. You're going to die an old lady, tucked up safe and warm in her bed' Lily stated, letting silence fall back over the tiny cupboard they were both squeezed into.  
'Did you just quote Titanic?' Ava asked.  
'Yeah' Lily chuckled, causing Ava to giggle. It felt wrong to be laughing when people could be dead, but it also felt right. They were alive and hopefully, they would be for a long time.  
'I'm glad that I'm here with you' Ava sighed. 'I mean, this situation sucks major donkey balls, but I'm glad that you're here with me. I feel safe with you' Ava explained fondly.  
'Me too, Aves.' Lily replied. 'When we get out of here, I'm going to do everything. Swim in the ocean as far as I can go. Learn a new language. Maybe travel the world'  
'Yeah, I'm totally going to learn to ride a motorbike. Maybe go skydiving or do that crazy big bungee jump in New Zealand' Ava added as she began to dream about all the things she wanted to experience. That was the crazy thing about being in a life or death situation, you began to value life and for most people, it pushed them to do the things that they never would have before.  
'Maybe I'll even pass Math class' she added after a beat, causing Lily to laugh again.  
'You'll pass Math, don't you worry. I'll make sure of it' Lily stated confidently. Ava looked through the darkness, her eyes having adjusted to the lack of light, and saw that Lily was looking right at her. Her brown eyes were piercing into her, as though looking deep into her soul, and Ava felt her heart beat just a little quicker at the eye contact.  
'You know the thing I want to do the most though? What I've wanted to do for a long time now?' Ava husked.  
'What's that?' Lily asked, her throat suddenly dry at the tension that filled the air.  
'This' Ava whispered, before leaning down and capturing Lily's lips into a single, soft kiss.

Grace headed down a hall, passing a science lab. The door was open and the place looked ransacked. Curiosity and fear overwhelmed her as she resisted the urge to investigate further, knowing that the shooter could still be in there. She forced herself to pass the door quickly and quietly, sneaking a peek as she passed. Her heart hit her throat when she saw a pair of legs sticking out from behind a desk. Grace pulled her focus away, not wanting to think about the probably dead person that was lying behind that table, and instead on trying to find somewhere to hide so that she didn't end up like that herself. Grace peered around a corner, ensuring that the coast was clear, before she turned and headed down the hall, her ears and eyes on high alert for any sign of movement. She heard a noise that she was sure came from behind her. She turned to see a shadow stretching along the floor, her eyes widening. Suddenly, Grace's fight or flight instinct kicked in, and her instinct screamed at her to get the hell out of the. Grace's legs kicked into action and she ran round the nearest corner, running straight into a body. She felt the person's hands grip her arms tight and Grace opened her mouth to scream, but a hand quickly cupped her mouth and chin, muffling the sound that escaped her lips. Suddenly, Grace found herself being pulled sideways into a bathroom.

'Grace, it's ok, it's just me' she heard the familiar voice and suddenly her panic and fear subsided at the soft, loving voice of her Mother.  
'Mom' Grace exhaled, finally looking to see Emily standing beside her. Grace flung her arms around her Mom's waist, finally letting the tears escape as she sobbed into Emily's Sharks jacket. Emily reciprocated by wrapping her arms around Grace and pulling her in tight.  
'It's ok baby girl, I've got you' she hushed, thankful that at least one of her daughter's was safe and sound in her arms.  
'Mom, I was so scared' Grace cried, and Emily felt her heart breaking just a little bit, because Emily had vowed a long time ago that nobody would make her daughter's fear for their lives the way she had been forced to during High School.  
'I know, sweetie, but it's going to be ok now. I promise. I'm going to get us out of here, ok?' Emily whispered, placing a kiss to the top of Grace's head, before pulling apart and taking Grace's hand in her own.  
'I don't want to go back out there' Grace whimpered as Emily began to gently pull her daughter towards the door. Emily turned to see that her daughter was completely and utterly petrified.  
'Grace. Do you trust me?' Emily asked, her eyes searching her daughter's. Grace simply nodded in response, knowing that her Mom would never let any harm come to her.  
'Then trust that I will not anything happen to you' Emily added, before turning back to pull Grace from the bathroom and down the hall. They walked in silence, at first seeing nobody and hearing nothing, but as they made their way deeper through the school they began to see spots of blood, which grew larger in size the more they moved. As the rounded the hall that Alison's classroom was situated in, Emily couldn't help but gasp. Several bodies lay on the floor and pooled the floor. Emily's heart began to race as her mind filled with images of one of those bodies belonging to her Wife, or Lily, or even Ava.  
'Mom' Grace cried, a lump forming in her throat at the sight in front of her.  
'I know. I know. Don't look' Emily hushed, covering Grace's eyes with her hand as she led her now blind daughter down the hall. Emily forced herself to look at each and every face of the half a dozen bodies, needing the reassurance that Alison and Grace were not amongst those that had been gunned down. During the long walk through the hall, Emily was relieved to see that Alison's classroom door was shut and the blinds were down, and none of the bodies belonged to her wife or daughter. She could finally relax at the thought of the rest of her family being safe and sound in the classroom. A part of Emily wanted to knock on the door and visibly see for herself, but she also knew that protocol said that under no circumstances, were you to open the door for anyone during a lockdown. With that in mind, Emily continued and led her daughter to the safety of the outside world.

Alison let out a huff of air as she rested her head back against the wall, her arm pulling Harper in tight as he clung to her side. She watched the clock, as she had done for the past hour. She had watched every single second pass by, each one feeling longer than the last, while they waited to be rescued.  
'God, I thought we were over this 'people trying to kill us' shit' Hanna groaned as she began to grow impatient.  
'Hanna' Alison scolded as she glared at the other woman.  
'What? I'm just saying!' Hanna countered. 'This is total bull crap' she added, rolling her eyes.  
'Hanna, you're one of only three adults in this room and we have children in our presence, scared children I might add. Put your brain into gear before you open your damn mouth' Alison snapped before letting out a sigh. She looked around at the five students, who were sitting quiet as mice in the dark room. One Sophomore Boy was holding a Girl close, his arm slung around her shoulders as he practically cradled the scared student. Another girl had her chin resting on her knees and her arms wrapped around her shins, dried tears still sticking to her cheeks. The other two boys were sat motionless, leaning on the wall below the window. Alison wondered if they too, were staring at the clock like she had been. The other teacher, whose name Alison couldn't remember, seemed to be a deathly pale.  
'You ok?' she asked emotionlessly, causing his eyes to flick up at her.  
'Yeah, I uh, just don't like being enclosed in one space for too long. Give me anxiety' the young teacher replied, and Alison noticed that his top button was undone and his tie was unfastened.  
'I called 911 a while ago, we should be out of here soon' Alison replied, giving him a small smile.

Emily pulled Grace through the front doors, removing her hand from her daughter's eyes. Suddenly they were face to face with armed police officers, and while Emily knew that this was protocol, Grace began to panic.  
'Hands in the air. Now' one office demanded. Emily complied instantly, while Grace looked to her Mother for instructions, following suit once she saw that the older woman had her hands raised in the air.  
'Down on the ground' he instructed, and again Grace followed her Mom's lead, dropping to the ground and lying face down with her arms beside her. She felt an officer pat her down, seeing that another was patting down her Mom.  
'All clear' the office cried, and Grace and Emily found themselves being hoisted to their feet and led over to a clearance that was filled with crying students and their parents.  
'Momma!' came a voice and Emily turned to see Jude running through the crowd, followed by her own Mom.  
'Oh my god' Emily hushed, as she wrapped her arms around Jude and lifted him into the air. Pam rushed in an pulled Grace into a tight squeeze before turning to her own daughter.  
'I heard on the radio while I was dropping Jude off to school, so we rushed straight here. I'm so glad you're ok' Pam rambled, and Emily could see that her Mother had been more than a little worried about her welfare.  
'We're ok, Mom' Emily assured her, giving her Mom a one armed hug, as her other was wrapped around Jude.  
'Have Mom and Lily come out yet?' Grace asked, as she looked around to see if she could spot the other two.  
'No, not yet honey' Pam replied sadly, causing Grace's face to drop.  
'I'm sure they're just lying low, waiting for the police to reach them' Emily stated, wanting to stop her children from worrying, and herself.

'Hey, Em. I'm so glad you guys are out safe' Aria stated as she rushed over, pulling Emily into a hug.  
'There's a lot of hugging going on today' Jude stated with his eyes wide, causing Pam to smile at him.  
'God, me too. Did Sawyer get out ok?' Emily asked, suddenly remembering about Hanna being in the building with Oscar and Harper.  
'Oh my god, Hanna' she blurted, spinning to see if she could spot the blonde woman.  
'Hanna? What about her?' Aria asked in confusion.  
'She was in the school with the boys. I saw her like, minutes before the first shot went off' Emily explained, looking to Aria, whose face had now drained of colour.  
'Harper is in there?' she asked, her voice weak from the sudden information that both of her children were in that building.  
'I'm sure they're ok' Pam tried to reassure Aria, placing a hand on her shoulder. Emily thought back to the bodies that she had seen previously, trying to remember if she recognised any faces, if any bodies were smaller than others, but she had been so focused on looking to see if they were Alison or Lily, that she hadn't even processed if there were any other familiar faces amongst the deceased.

The group watched as the police escorted group after group out of the building, all praying that the next group would be filled with their loved ones, but as the time ticked on, and the groups leaving the building became spaced farther and farther apart, the group began to worry more and more.  
'We've got a GSW to the lower abdomen, Emergency Services please stand by' a voice called over the radio of the officer standing nearby. Emily gulped, praying that she didn't know the person that call had been about.  
'Mom, what's a GSW?' Grace asked hesitantly, though she was sure she knew what that meant.  
'Gunshot wound' Emily replied, her voice low and her tone filled with sorrow. They watched as the police carried out a girl, covered in blood. Emily wasn't sure if she was unconscious or dead, the only thing she was sure of was that there was a hell of a lot of blood and the girl was more than a familiar face.  
'Sawyer!' Aria screamed, tears instantly falling down her face as the tiny woman ran towards her daughter.  
'Ma'am you have to stay here' a police officer stated firmly, stepping in Aria's way.  
'That's my daughter. Please!?' Aria begged, her eyes not leaving the body of her daughter who was being carried to an ambulance. Emily felt sick at the sight of the blood, but her eyes shot to her own daughter, who was now beside Aria, fighting to get to her friend.  
'Please, I need to see her' Aria begged.  
'Get out of the way you assholes' Grace began to argue, but Emily swooped in and pulled Grace back before she could say anything that would get her into trouble. The last thing she needed was to be having to pick her daughter up from the Police Station for threatening an officer.  
'Grace, I know this is hard but you have to calm down' Emily warned sternly. 'Now go and stand with Grandma while I try to fix this' she added, and Grace knew that there was no point in arguing with her Mom. Emily sighed sadly, composing herself before she wrapped an arm around Aria's tiny frame.  
'Ar, come on. Let them take care of Sawyer. We'll meet them at the hospital' Emily said, gently pulling Aria from her spot.  
'Em, what if she-' Aria started, but was instantly cut off by Emily.  
'She won't! She's a fighter, Aria. She'll get through this' Emily stated firmly, hoping that she was right. Aria sobbed into Emily's shirt while Grace watched on, terrified that her friend was going to die.

'God, we've been here forever' Hanna complained, causing Alison to grow frustrated at the blonde woman's lack of patience.  
'Yeah, Mrs DiLaurentis-Fields, when will the police get here?' one of the students asked sadly.  
'I just want to see my Mom' another stated. Alison looked around the room and could see that everyone was growing tired. They had been in the room for an hour and a half, but it felt like they had been there much longer.  
'They'll be here soon. They're probably just helping other people' Alison replied, hoping that this nightmare would end soon. Her own mind was going crazy with the possibility that Emily and the girls were still in the building; she wouldn't let her mind think anything more than that. The possibility that she may have lost one of them was far too horrid a thought.  
'Rosewood PD. Everyone stand back' came a voice from the other side of the door. Alison and the rest of the group scrambled to their feet, their backs pressed against the wall as the police barged through the door, sending desks and chairs scattering.  
'Everybody ok in here?' came the police officer's voice again.  
'Yes Officer, we're all ok' Alison replied, trying her best to keep her voice strong, but she was so relieved that they were being saved finally, that she could feel a lump forming in her throat. Holding Harper's hand, Alison followed the officers. Trailed closely by Hanna and Oscar, and then the rest of the students, the other teacher took up the tail end of the group, finally followed by two more armed officers. They were led through the narrow halls of Rosewood, and Alison and Hanna pulled the two younger boys in to avoid them from seeing the bloodied bodies that they were passing, though they were now covered with sheets. Finally, they reached the doors to the outside.

'Oh my god, Ali!' Emily called when she saw her Wife being led out of the school, before being placed on the ground and patted down. She was relieved to see that Alison was tightly clutching the hand of Harper, and Hanna and Oscar were just behind her.  
'Aria, look' Emily stated, pointing out Harper to the small brunette woman. Already in floods of tears, Aria's tears grew tenfold when she spotted her baby boy lying on the grass, still clutching Alison's hand. Finally the group were free to go and Harper ran towards Aria, who held the tiny brunette boy closer to her, planting kisses on his head as she lifted him. Emily smiled at the scene, before turning to grab Alison.  
'Babe, I thought you were-'  
'I'm not, I'm ok' Alison interrupted, before planting a kiss on Emily's lips. She knew that they were on school grounds, and there were students and parents around them, but in that moment she didn't care. Alison had spent the longest hour and a half of her life, terrified that she had lost the love of her life and their children and she wasn't going to wait another second to kiss her Wife.  
'I love you so much' Emily whispered as they parted.  
'I love you too. So, so much' Alison replied before leaning back in to kiss Emily. 'Where are the girls?' Alison asked, looking around, only spotting Jude with Pam.  
'Grace is around here somewhere' Emily trailed off as she searched for their daughter. She spotted that Grace was with Aria and Harper, and they had finally been allowed to go over to the ambulance that held Sawyer. 'There, at the ambulance' Emily pointed. Alison's blood drained.  
'Lily?' Alison asked.  
'No, it's Sawyer' Emily told her. 'But, Lily isn't out yet'  
'Neither is Ava' Hanna interrupted with a worried tone.  
'I'm sure they're just holed up together somewhere' Alison breathed, hoping that she was right.

'It's been a long time. Maybe they forgot about us' Ava sighed as she sat between Lily's legs on the ground of the broom cupboard, enjoying the feeling of having the taller girl's arms wrapped around her. It was strange, as terrible of a situation as this was, Ava was partly glad that they had found themselves locked in this cupboard for so long because it had given her the courage to do what she had wanted to do for so long, and apparently Lily felt the same way.  
'I don't think they've forgotten about us, but I do think that maybe we should take a peek outside and see what's going on' Lily stated, silently wishing that they could stay in this broom closet forever. Lily placed a firm kiss to Ava's hair, before standing up, pulling Ava up with her. She took the other girl's hand and look back for reassurance, nerves hitting her that they could be walking into danger. Ava leaned in and placed a sweet kiss on Lily's lips for encouragement, before taking the lead and leading them both out of the tiny closet. The harsh hall lights hit their eyes, causing them both to squint and blink to readjust their focus.  
'This way' Ava whispered, before pulling Lily down the hall by her hand.  
'Stop!' came a voice and the two girl's instantly froze when they found themselves looking down the barrel of a gun.

Alison had been out of the school for at least a half hour, and still there had been no sign of the girls. Nobody had come in or out of the building for at least twenty minutes, and the parents were beginning to grow worried as numbers of those missing began to grow by the second. Aria had headed off to the hospital with Harper and Pam had taken Jude and Oscar to her house upon Emily's request, leaving Alison, Emily, Hanna and Grace to stand by and wait for the news as to whether the two girls were alive or not. Two gunshots rang through the building, causing Alison to scream, Hanna to cry and Emily to freeze in place at the possibility that the two girls' lives may have just ended.  
'Shooter is down, I repeat shooter is down!' came a voice over a police radio. Grace's legs gave in as she hit the deck, holding her head in her hands.  
'Fuck Lily. Just walk out those goddamn doors!' she growled to herself. Emily watched as Alison walked over to their daughter, sat beside her and pulled her in close, wrapping her arm around the brunette's shoulders. Emily couldn't move, her eyes glued to the door in hope that the girls would walk out of the building safe and sound.  
'Hold your guard' came a command. 'We have a GSW to upper thigh'  
The doors to the school opened and Emily almost fainted at the sight of Lily walking out, supporting a hobbling Ava, who's jeans were now coated in deep, claret blood.  
'Oh my god, Aves!' Hanna practically screamed, her hands clasped to her mouth at the sight of her daughter, who was fighting through the pain to get out of the school.  
'Lily!' Grace and Alison both shouted together as they jumped up from their spot on the grass. Grace thought that she had never been so happy to see her sister before. They waited patiently for Lily to make her way over, but she stuck by Ava's side while the blonde got treated by the EMTs on site. She glanced over to her Moms and sister every so often, but Lily felt the overwhelming need to be by Ava's side. She had let the blonde go for a split second, and she had ended up with a bullet in her leg. Lily made a silent promise to never let her go again. She stood and held Ava's hand tightly in her own as the EMT's inspected the wound.  
'It's just a graze. Few stitches and you'll be good to go. You got lucky!' the EMT stated as she flashed Ava a smile. Lily let herself breath again at the reassurance that Ava would be ok.  
'I'm sorry I let you go. I panicked' Lily said as she brushed Ava's hair away from her face.  
'Lils, this is not your fault. It's the fault of the idiot who decided to bring a gun to school and shoot it off in front of a freaking police officer' Ava replied as she recalled what had happened. They thought they were safe. There hadn't been any gunfire for a while, and they assumed that it was over, but the second they rounded the corner, they walked straight into him. Lily and looked him right in the eye and she was surprised that she didn't find malice or evil, but sadness and pain. Everything had happened in slow motion. Ava's hand slipped out of her own as she put her hands up in an effort to stop the boy from shooting, but the barrel was raised and the trigger was pulled, and suddenly a bullet was flying towards them. When the second shot went off, Lily squeezed her eyes closed, preparing for an inevitable death, only opening them again when she heard the thud. She opened her eyes to see the shooter in a heap on the floor with one single bullet hole in the chest. Lily looked behind to see an armed officer with his gun held high, and then to Ava, who was now in a heap on the floor with blood pumping from her leg.  
'I don't care. I'm never letting go of you again' Lily whispered, before leaning down to place a soft kiss on Ava's lips.

'Wait, did she just-?' Alison asked, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise as what she had just witnessed.  
'I think so' Emily replied in just as much shock as Alison.  
'Of course she did' Hanna stated sarcastically, rolling her eyes at the other two clearly unobservant women. 'Seriously, no wonder it took you two so long to get your shit figured out and date already' Hanna added as she side eyed Emily and Alison.  
'Yeah, I've known for so freaking long' Grace countered with a smirk. 'I'm just glad they finally figured it out'  
'Wait, how long has this been going on for?' Emily asked, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion, while Alison folded her arms across her chest and turned to Hanna and Grace for answers.  
'Honestly, I think they've loved each other since before Kindergarten' Hanna said, looking to Grace for agreement.  
'Yeah, totally' Grace agreed, nodding her head. 'They're constantly making gooey eyes at each other' she added with a shrug of the shoulders. Emily and Alison looked at each other as though their minds had been blown wide open by this information. Neither of them were sure how they had missed this development of Lily and Ava's relationship, when it seemed that it had been so blindingly obvious to everyone for so long.  
'Remember back in Middle School, when Lily started that fight? Totally because Lily and Ava loved each other' Grace stated.  
'Wow, so everyone knew about our Daughter's love life way before even she did' Alison stated with a small pout. 'and nobody cared to freaking inform me that they've been sharing a bed together during their sleepovers?' Hanna's eyes widened as she realised that she too, had let the girls share a bed, while Grace fell about laughing at her Mom's over reaction.  
'You think they-?'  
'Don't be stupid' Grace laughed, knowing full well that if Lily and Ava had even kissed before today, she would have heard about it. 'I'm pretty sure this is a new thing' she reassured her Moms.  
'Even still, I'm thinking we need an open door policy in the house' Emily stated, causing Grace to pout, since she knew that this would affect her make out sessions with Aaron.

Lily stayed with Ava while the EMT stitched her leg and bandaged her up, instructing her to get a check-up in a few days. Finally, with Lily's support, Ava was able to hobble to the direction of her Mom.  
'Hey' she called with a smile, causing Hanna to glare.  
'Ava Rivers, you get shot in the fucking leg and all you have to say is Hey!?' Hanna scolded, whilst pulling Ava in for a tight hug. Lily chuckled as Alison and Emily both practically pounced on her, whilst Grace stood back and look on in amusement. When her sister was finally free, Grace moved in and wrapped her arms around her twin.  
'Don't you ever scare me like that again, you hear?' Grace demanded.  
'I won't, don't you worry' Lily chuckled. The two girls parted and Lily looked over to Ava, feeling the need to be close to her.  
'Go' Grace insisted with a smile, giving Lily a gentle tap on the butt. Lily smiled gratefully and headed towards Ava. She wrapped her arms around the blonde, not caring who saw.  
'They look cute together' Emily said to Alison, who looked heartbroken that her other baby girl was growing up.  
'So um, what do you say we get out of here? I for one could use a very large glass of wine' Hanna suggested. The group nodded all made their way to Hanna's place, with Lily going in Hanna's car with Ava. Hanna looked on at the two girls through the rear-view mirror. She couldn't help but smile at how tentative Lily was with Ava, and Hanna knew that she could never have asked for a better person to love her daughter.

'Guys, I just got a call from Aria' Emily stated as she hung up the phone and entered the room. Grace's ears pricked up as she waited for the news of her best friend. The group were sitting on the couches in Hanna's living room, with Alison and Grace sat on one couch, while Lily and Ava cuddled on the other and Hanna sat on a bar stool from the kitchen.  
'Sawyer is out of surgery, she's doing great. They're going to keep her in for a few days but it looks like she's going to make a full recovery' Emily informed the group with a smile.  
'Thank god for that' Hanna replied as she took a long sip of her wine.  
'Yeah, poor Aria must be going crazy with worry' Alison agreed, her hands clasping her own glass.  
'Guys, they named the shooter' Lily said as she looked up from her phone. 'His name was Max Harrison'  
'Wait a second' Ava called, grabbing Lily's phone to look at the picture that had been released by the media. 'That's the guy we saw with Sawyer this morning' Ava stated, looking at Lily. The realisation hit the group, that Sawyer had been shot by someone she knew and was a supposed friend, and every single person felt sick to their stomach.  
'I need some air' Lily whispered as she untangled herself from Ava and ran out of the house.  
'I'll go' Alison insisted, placing a hand on Emily's arm to hold her in place as other woman instantly went to get up and follow their daughter.  
'Ok' Emily smiled, taking Alison's hand in her own and placing a soft kiss to her knuckles, before letting her wife walk out of the door.

Alison left the house to find Lily sitting on the wall outside. She walked over and sat beside her daughter, looking forwards and letting the silence sit over them for a few moments.  
'You ok?' Alison finally asked, looking to Lily for a response.  
'No' Lily replied honestly as she picked at her nailbeds. 'I saw Sawyer with that guy this morning. If I'd have stopped her, then none of this would have happened' Lily stated, her tone sombre and Alison could see the guilt written across Lily's face.  
'Lils, you can't blame yourself for this. It's not your fault' Alison replied.  
'But if I'd just-'  
'Nothing you could have done would have stopped this from happening. Max made the decision to bring that gun into school, and he had probably been planning it for a long time' Alison interrupted. 'Yes, you could have stopped Sawyer and ok, it might have stopped her from getting injured, but it wouldn't have stopped him from pulling that gun out and it's not a guarantee that she wasn't going to get hurt. Hell, you could have gotten hurt for interfering. You can't blame yourself for this baby. Things happen and we can't stop them, we just have to learn how to cope with them and move on' Alison finished, her hand resting on Lily's back. Lily sighed, taking in her Mom's words of wisdom. Lily knew that she was right, there wasn't a damn thing in the world that she could have done to stop this horrible day from happening, but that didn't stop her from feeling at least a little guilty. The two sat in silence as Lily processed her Mother's words.  
'So. You and Ava, huh?' Alison said with a smile. Lily looked over to her Mom with a sheepish look on her face.  
'You don't mind, do you?' Lily asked anxiously, suddenly realising that she and Ava had been acting closer than usual. After the whole mess at the school, Lily hadn't cared who saw them, but now she was worried that maybe her Mom wouldn't approve.  
'Baby, as long as the person you date makes you happy then I don't care who it is' Alison replied with a smile. 'And I like Ava. She's a good kid, and you guys have been friends your whole lives without any problems, so I know that she will be loyal to you. If she's the girl for you, then I approve and I know your Mom would too.' Alison rubbed Lily's back, making the younger girl smile.  
'I know this sounds stupid, because I don't even think we're dating or whatever, but I love her so much. I think I always have' Lily replied with a softness to her voice that Alison had never heard from her daughter before. Alison pondered for a moment, when the baby girl she had held in her arms all those years ago, had turned into a young woman who knew her own mind and went for what she wanted. She was thankful though, that she had raised two well rounded women. Ok, Grace still had a little way to go, but Lily was ready for the world and Alison knew that whatever path in life she chose, Lily would meet it head on and rule it.  
'I'm proud of you, Lily' Alison said fondly. Lily looked to her Mom with a strangeness, she could tell that the tension had changed, and her Mom was feeling nostalgic, it happened a lot with her Moms for some reason.  
'Come on, we should go inside' Lily stated, rolling her eyes a little. Alison gave Lily a gentle shove before letting her daughter lead the way back into Hanna's house. The day had been a day from hell, but Alison knew that her family would get through it, as would Hanna's and Aria's. They had been through hell and high water together, and this was a tiny blip on the radar in comparison. They had taught their daughter's to be strong, independent women and Alison knew that that was exactly what they would be.

* * *

 **A/N - Just in case anyone asks me why I approached this subject for this fic, there are multiple reasons.  
This is a topic that is dear to my heart. I live in the UK, so I'm not from a country where weapons are readily available, but I have grown up seeing this kind of thing on the TV and hearing about it on the news, and it honestly breaks my heart. Even here in the UK, there are cases where young children are being taught what to do in the case of a firearm being brought onto grounds. While I think preparation is great, I find that it shouldn't be a necessary action.  
Secondly, I chose this topic simply because I have never read a fanfic, for any fandom that I have followed, that touches on this subject, and I think that that is purely because people are too scared to do so. I wanted something that would challenge me in this fic and this was the perfect chapter to do so. **

**Please know that this fic is purely for entertainment purposes, and by no means is it an opportunity to preach or educate. I simply saw an opportunity to write something hard hitting, and I took it.**

 **On a whole other topic, how are we feeling about Avily!? Are we liking it? Are we not? Blast it out in the comments and let me know!**


	15. Dancing In The Sheets

**Hello to my lovely readers, old and new! I am so, so sorry that this has taken me a disgustingly long time to get uploaded, I just really struggled to get the inspiration for this chapter, and then once I knew what I wanted to write I just didn't have a lot of time, but here it is, all 10,802 words of it for you to read! But, thank you all for commenting, and hello to all the new followers I've gotten in my absence! The feedback has been overwhelming! To those of you who have followed me on Tumblr, thank you! Come say hi, I don't bite! :)**

 **I tried to take into consideration what a lot of you said in the comments, so there is a lot more Emison alone, more Avily and more of them as a family. There is a flashback, and to be honest I can't really remember what else because I've been writing this for 2 weeks and I haven't read through it because I wanted to get it up, so apologies if it's 10, 000 words of pure shite, but I hope you appreciate it anyway haha!**

 **Someone mentioned wanting me to write a solely Avily fic, and this is something that I'm super keen to do. I already have a few ideas, and obviously it wouldn't be started until Hand in Hand is finished, but is this something that you'd like to see? Let me know in the comments!**

 **Lastly, I'm going away at the end of this week, so I'm hoping to get DYR updated before I go, but then I'm afraid that there will be a bit of an absence from me. I'm hoping it won't be anymore than around 2 weeks, but please be patient, I'm not disappearing, I'm simply heading off for some well deserved R &R! **

**Anyway, enough from me. I hope you enjoy this chapter! As always, feedback below :)**

 **Lo xx**

* * *

Dance music blasted out of the docking station while clothes were thrown onto the bed, to join the already mounting pile as Lily steadily emptied her closet while dressed in only her boy shorts and bra.  
'Woah!' Cried Grace, as she ducked to dodge a pair of leather look pants that were flying towards her head.  
'Oh, sorry' Lily apologised, looking over her shoulder to see her sister entering her bedroom. Lily flashed Grace an apologetic look before turning back to her closet and began rummaging through again, holding a few tops against her body before tossing them to the side with the rest of her clothes.  
'Having difficulty finding something to wear, Lils?' Grace asked in amusement as she took in the state of Lily's usually pristine bedroom.  
'I literally have nothing nice to wear for tonight' Lily groaned, walking away from her closet in defeat before flopping backwards onto the pile of clothes that had taken over her bed.  
'Lily, you literally have the most amazing clothes in this house. You have to have something to wear' Grace argued. 'What about that dress that Hanna made for you?' She suggested.  
'No, that's way too fancy and Ava said to dress smart-casual. Plus, I can't wear something on a first date, that was made by my date's Mom' Lily pointed out, causing Grace to bop her head in agreement.  
'Ok, let me take a look' Grace said, slapping Lily's ass out of the way so she could take a look at the reject clothes on the bed. She rummaged through before grabbing the black leather-look pants that had been flying towards her head only a few minutes prior, and a white lace top with a black bow in the back and a semi-appropriate amount of cleavage in the front.  
'How about this?' Grace asked with a shrug, holding up the outfit to her own body to show Lily what it looked like.  
'I don't know' Lily moaned with a pout, causing Grace to roll her eyes.  
'What's wrong with it?' Grace asked, her eyebrow cocking up in a way that she could have only learned from their Mom.  
'I don't know, it's just not right' Lily replied vaguely. Grace sighed and placed the two clothing items on the back of Lily's desk chair, before climbing over he sister and sitting beside her on the mound of clothes.

'Lils, you know you don't have to be perfect, right?' Grace asked as she gently began to run her fingers though Lily's hair, whose head was now settled beside her.  
'But I do though. It's a first date, Grace. I have to look good' she argued, her hands flying through the air as she grew more agitated.  
'Yeah, but it's a first date with Ava' Grace pointed out.  
'Exactly, so I have to look amazing' Lily replied, as though Grace was completely missing the point of the night.  
'Lils, we've all known each other since we were shitting in diapers and spitting up on our parents. Ava's seen you when you had the chicken pox, she's seen you first thing in the morning when your breath pongs. Hell, she's even seen you when you've been wrapped up in bed with the flu, with snot dripping out of your nose and your eyes looking like fucking golf balls, and she still wants to go out with you' Grace countered. 'I'm pretty sure you could turn up in nothing but a trash bag held together with duct tape, and Ava would still think you're hot' she added, and by the way Lily was fighting off a smile, Grace figured that her job was almost done.  
'Now, get your mopey ass off of this bed and put those clothes on, because you're going to look hot as hell in that outfit' Grace commanded, grinning like a Cheshire cat when Lily finally got up for of the bed. Grace followed suit and slapped Lily's butt, before making her way back out of the room. Knowing that she had successfully pulled Lily out of the funk that she had been in for the past three hours, Grace headed to her own bedroom, and got to the task of choosing something for her own date that evening.

'Mom, where are my soccer boots?' Jude called through the house as he frantically hunted through the shoe cupboard.  
'I don't know Jude, wherever you left them last' Alison shouted through from the laundry room. 'Did you check your bedroom?'  
'Yeah, I can't find them' he called back as he closed the shoe cupboard and made his way through to the kitchen.  
'Then I don't know' Alison sighed, mentally wishing their son could take better care of his things.  
'Hey guys' Emily called as she entered through the front door. 'I've got pizza' she called as she kicked the door closed and made her way through to the kitchen.  
'No thanks' Jude huffed as he slipped past Emily and stomped up the stairs, causing Emily to raise an eyebrow at their son's mood.  
'Hey babe' Alison greeted, as she made her way into the kitchen and pecked Emily on the lips.  
'Hey. What's wrong with Jude?' Emily asked as she placed the two boxes of pizza down onto the counter. Emily opened the lid of one box and pulled out a slice, before turning and leaning into the counter to face her wife, who was now settled at the table with a mug of coffee in her hand.  
'He can't find his soccer boots' Alison sighed, before taking a sip of her hot coffee.  
'They're in the trunk of my car' Emily stated through a mouthful of pizza. 'Why does he want them now? He doesn't have practice until tomorrow morning' Emily asked curiously, her eyebrows knitting together slightly.  
'Caleb is taking Jude and Oscar for the evening and they said they'd play soccer. I told him to just wear his sneakers, but he's insisting' Alison explained wearily. It had been a long day between Jude fussing over playing Soccer, Lily having a nervous breakdown over her date with Ava, and Grace just being Grace, Alison was fed up.

'Rough day?' Emily asked, sensing that their kids had given Alison a tough time while she had been gone all day.  
'You could say that. Our son is obsessed with his boots, one of our daughter's is having a melt down and the other is just being her usual, pain in the ass self' Alison groaned. 'But how was your day, sweetie?' She added with a sarcastic smile, causing Emily to let out an airy chuckle.  
'My day was a lot less boring than yours was by the sounds of it' Emily replied as she placed down her pizza slice and made her way over to Alison. 'But, I know how I can make it better' Emily cooed flirtatiously as she rounded her wife and began to gently massage her shoulders.  
'Hmm? How's that?' Alison hummed, already feeling her stress melting under Emily's touch. Alison placed her cup down and leaned her head back into Emily's body, embracing the contact with her Wife.  
'Well, Lily and Grace are both out on dates tonight and Jude is off with Caleb and Oscar for the night, which means we have the house to ourselves' Emily purred suggestively, leaning down to place small kisses along Alison's neck.  
'I'm liking where this is going' Alison replied, her voice deep with lust as she tilted her head to open up more of her neck for Emily to kiss. They hadn't had a free house in months, let alone any time to themselves, and the simple suggestion of spending some quality alone time together was instantly turning Alison on.  
'I'm thinking we head to bed early' Emily continued, spurred on by the feeling of Alison's pulse increasing beneath her lips. 'We get naked' she continued as she placed an open-mouthed kiss on Alison's pulse point. 'and I'm going to fu-'

'Ew, Moms!' Grace practically screamed as she entered the kitchen, her face contorting into a look of disgust at what she had walked in on. Alison groaned at the intrusion, while Emily simply giggled, removing herself from Alison and straightening up.  
'Well, that's what you get for not knocking, kid!' Emily quipped with a smirk.  
'It's the kitchen, it's a communal area. I shouldn't have to knock!' Grace countered as she continued her way through the kitchen. 'I only came for a slice of pizza, but I think you put me off of it' she added, yet still helping herself to a slice.  
'Momma! Have you seen my soccer boots?' Jude asked in exasperation, causing Alison to roll her eyes and huff, because she was so ready for some alone time and Emily had gotten her all worked up, but she knew they had to wait for the kids to leave.  
'Yes, Jude. They are safe and sound in my car, I'll go get them for you in a few minutes' Emily replied with a smile. 'Have some pizza before Caleb gets here' she added.  
'Ok' the young boy sighed as he headed towards the pizza box and helped himself to a slice.  
'What's your plans tonight, Grace?' Emily asked, taking a seat at the table beside Alison.  
'Um, just dinner and a movie I think' Grace replied casually as she leaned into the counter and bit into her pizza. Emily nodded her head in response to Grace's plans for the evening, when Lily came into the kitchen, causing Grace to let out a loud wolf whistle.  
'Looking good, sis!' She said impressed, as she took in Lily's ensemble of the pants and top she had picked out for her, paired with black suede heels and minimal make up, while her hair tumbled in soft curls.  
'You think?' Lily asked nervously, as she tugged on the bottom of her top and looked down at herself.  
'Lils, you look beautiful' Alison complimented her daughter with a smile, while Emily took in her daughter's appearance and wondered how they had gotten to the point in their lives where it was acceptable for their daughters to go out dressed like that, let alone on dates. Lily looked more grown up now than ever, and it scared the hell out of Emily.  
'Thanks Mom' Lily replied shyly, blushing slightly at the attention, all the while her stomach was spinning like a washing machine with nerves.

'Lil, you have to calm down, it's going to be fine' Grace said firmly, sensing her sister's nerves. 'Remember, it's only Ava'  
'Yeah, I know but things are different now' Lily replied, and Alison felt for her daughter, who looked like she was about to hurl any second. She almost jumped out of her skin when the doorbell rang.  
'I got it' Jude said as he made his way to the door.  
'Breathe' Grace reminded Lily with a subtle smirk, that was matched by Alison and Emily had to shake her head in amusement because if it weren't for the fact that the twins looked exactly like her, it would be easy to think that Grace shared Alison's genetics.  
'Hey Jude' came Hanna's voice from the hall, and Lily's eyes widened as she realised that it was the time she had been both nervous and excited about.  
'Hey Hanna, Hey Ava' Jude greeted from the hall. 'Lily's through in the kitchen. You better hurry up because I'm pretty sure she's about to hurl!' He added with a giggle.  
'Jude!' Lily shouted from the kitchen as the young boy led Hanna and Ava through to the kitchen where the rest of the family resided. Ava looked equally as embarrassed as Lily and also had a hint of nerves, while Hanna was smirking widely at the two girls.  
'Jude, go get yourself ready' Alison instructed in amusement, as she watched the two girls who had been best friends their entire lives, standing awkwardly at opposite sides of the kitchen.  
'But what about my boots?' He asked, his eyes wide through fear that Alison had forgotten about them.  
'Here, take the keys and get them from the car' Alison replied, rolling her eyes as she tossed the keys to Jude.

'So, what's the plan for tonight, girls?' Emily asked in an attempt to break some of the awkwardness that had settled over the room.  
'Um, my Mom's going to drop us at the station and I was thinking we could catch the train to Phili? There's an awesome Italian Restaurant over there that I think Lily would like' Ava replied, turning to Lily when she had finished. 'Is that ok?' She asked unsurely and Alison's heart went out to the two girls, because she remembered how nervous she had been all those years ago when she and Emily had finally gotten their shit together and she had finally taken the other woman out on a date.  
'Uh, yeah. That sounds great' Lily replied with a small, uneasy smile and Emily noticed how her cheeks tinged pink.  
'God, that sounds awesome. Can I come?' Grace asked. 'Would sure beat another horror movie and cheap popcorn with Aaron' she added, causing Lily to glare.  
'What? I was kidding!' Grace retorted, holding her hands up in defense. 'I guess I'll just stick to making out in the back of Aaron's car' she muttered.  
'Um, there will be no making out in the back of any cars, thank you!' Emily jumped in, her eyes wide at the thought. She was suddenly seeing her life flash before her eyes as thoughts of Grace coming home pregnant ran through her mind. Emily was barely coping with her baby girls dating, let alone the concept of them possibly having sex in the back of a shitty Honda and having babies.

'Oh-kay. Lily, go grab Jude. I think we should head out before your Mom's head explodes' Hanna joked, while Alison eyed Emily nervously, wondering what had gotten into her usually laid-back Wife. Emily glared at Hanna, causing shivers to rise up the blonde woman's spine.  
'Jude, get your ass down here' Lily shouted up the stairs as she shrugged on her jacked and gave herself one final check over in the mirror.  
'You look great' Ava whispered into her ear, placing a small peck on Lily's cheek as she passed.  
'Grace, you need a lift anywhere?' Hanna asked, wanting to give the teenager an easy way out of the house before Emily lost it completely.  
'Uh, yeah. Could you drop me at Aaron's on the way?' she asked, grateful to be getting out from under her Mom's stare. Grace followed Lily and Ava to the car, grabbing her jacked on the way.  
'Em, can you chill the fuck out? You're freaking me out' Hanna quipped, before swanning out of the house with Jude in tow. Alison turned to face her Wife, her eyes narrowed slightly as she tried to work out what was going through Emily's head.  
'You want to tell me what's wrong or do I need to turn on my telepathic senses and read your mind?' Alison questioned expectantly.

Hanna weaved the car throughout the streets of Rosewood, while Jude sat beside her talking about how excited he was to spend the night with Caleb and Oscar, and Grace sat in the backseat between Lily and Ava and was seemingly trying to embarrass Lily and Ava as much as possible.  
'-So, if you're going to like, kiss and stuff, I'd suggest not letting Mom know because I seriously thought she was going to blow back there when I mentioned making out in Aaron's car' Grace rambled, causing Ava to roll her eyes and Lily to glare at her twin sister.  
'Yeah, well Mom's obviously getting a slutty vibe from you' Lily replied, wanting her sister to shut up.  
'Well, it takes a slut to know a slut, sis' Grace countered with a huge smile.  
'What are you, five?' Ava asked with a raised eyebrow, though she was finding the whole situation rather amusing. Hanna smirked from the front seat, she couldn't be happier that her daughter was dating Lily. Sure, she had imagined that Ava's life would be different, but she knew that Lily was raised to be a kind, generous and caring person, and that was all that Hanna wanted for her daughter.  
'Ok, first stop, Rosewood station' Hanna announced as she pulled up outside of the train station. Hanna figured that the girls needed a break from the teasing and embarrassment from Grace, and Jude on the odd occasion, and so had decided to drive the long way around town to drop them off first.  
'Thanks, Mom'  
'Thanks, Hanna' Both girls thanked the blonde woman as they quickly made their escape from the car.  
'Have fun and call me when you need picking up' Hanna replied with a warm smile, causing both girls to grin in response.  
'Yeah, don't do anything I wouldn't do' Grace added as she leaned out of the window, resting her head on her hands as she wiggled her eyebrows. She yelped in surprised when Hanna quickly hit the accelerator, causing Grace to tumble into the back of the seat, and Lily and Ava to laugh.

'Um, I'm sorry about Grace' Lily said quietly, happy to finally be alone.  
'It's fine, she was just being Grace' Ava replied with a flick of her hand, brushing off the embarrassment that the other DiLaurentis-Fields girl had put upon them.  
'Yeah, she's a douche sometimes. But, she did help me get ready for tonight so I can't be too mad at her' Lily chuckled.  
'Yeah? Well, she did a good job because you look so cute' Ava replied, her eyes flicking between Lily's eyes and lips. She almost felt herself leaning in before she cleared her throat and pulled her eye contact away. She knew that if she started kissing Lily now, they'd never make it to the restaurant.  
'We should go get our train' Ava blurted, her cheeks flushing pink as her mind raced with thoughts of kissing the beautiful girl in front of her.

Alison and Emily were sat on their couch, Alison sitting sideways with her feet tucked up beneath her while Emily leaned into her, her head resting on Alison's lap.  
'I just feel like they're growing up too fast' Emily mumbled into Alison's thigh, as the other woman gently combed her fingers through her Wife's hair. 'Like I'm going to turn around one day and they're all be married with kids of their own and we'll be left here alone.' She added sadly, causing Alison to chuckle.  
'And that's a bad thing? Babe, we're always looking for the opportunity to have some alone time' Alison pointed out.  
'Yeah, but it's not the same. They're still my babies. They're not allowed to grow up anymore' Emily replied, her voice becoming hilariously frantic.  
'Babies grow up, Em. It's what they do, and I'm glad that they're growing up' Alison said softly. Emily lifted her head and glared at Alison, about to argue, but she cut the brunette woman off. 'Let me finish' she said sternly, causing Emily to sigh and lie back into Alison's body.  
'I'm glad that they're growing up because we're getting to see them become the people we've spent all these years teaching them to be. All those sleepless nights and tantrums, arguments and stern lectures. It makes it all worth it when you see the amazing young women our daughters are growing into, and Jude is right along behind them, and I know that he will be the most gentlemanly of men, because that's the person we're teaching him to be.' Alison explained, and when she heard it put that way, Emily felt that maybe the kids growing up wasn't so bad. Lily and Grace were developing into headstrong, independent women, who knew exactly what they wanted. Grace was flying it on the swim team and was determined that she would make the Olympic Squad, while Lily was book smart and focused on her school work, much like Alison had been when she was at school. Lily had known that she wanted to go to University since she was in Kindergarten, and it was something that she worked towards. She was pulling straight A's and was top of her year. Emily knew that they should be proud of how they raised the girls, because they had helped them find their wings and flourish. Now, it was time to start letting them fly solo.

'You're right' Emily resigned. 'I'm sorry, I'm just being silly' she sighed as her thumb drew soft circles on Alison's leg.  
'You're not being silly, Em. It's normal to feel scared about them growing up. They're our babies, that will never change. They're just a little bigger now and they need us a little less than they used to, but they'll always need us at one point or another. I mean, look at home much we leaned on your Mom over the years, how much we needed her' Alison stated, feeling a little sad that she didn't have her own Mom to turn to over the years, though Pam had been a more than amazing substitute, and had never let Alison feel like she couldn't turn to her.  
'Yeah, I guess' Emily replied simply as she pondered Alison's words. The two women settled into a comfortable silence as Emily thought about all the milestones that the girls had been through. From the first time they smiled at her and Alison was convinced it was just wind, their first steps and the first time they called her Momma. Their first day at Kindergarten and the first day they made friends with children other than Hanna and Aria's daughters. The first time they rode their bikes without training wheels. The first time Grace swam the length of the pool, and the first time Lily read a book by herself. Those days only felt like yesterday, but now here they were, teenage girls who were free to explore the world without their Moms holding their hands.

'I can't believe that Lily is going on her first date, and Grace is in a semi-long term relationship' Emily said softly, breaking the silence that had settled over them. Alison chuckled at how nervous Lily had been earlier in the day.  
'Lily was so nervous today. It's crazy when you think about how long she and Ava have known each other' she said in amusement, causing Emily to chuckle too.  
'Well, I guess that's one thing she gets from me' Emily mused with a smile. 'I remember how nervous I was on our first date. I thought my stomach was going to fall out of my ass' she added, making Alison laugh out loud.  
'Thanks for the imagery, Em' she replied with a chuckle, though her hand made its way from Emily's hair and settled on her back, her thumb rubbing circles between Emily's shoulder blades.  
'What? I'm just saying, I was terrified' she explained, her eyes wide as she remembered their first date. Alison was already pregnant with the girls and they had known each other for years, hell they had already been together for a few weeks and were unofficially living together by the time they even discussed going on a date.

 _'Hanna, this is ridiculous' Emily complained as the blonde dragged her through the front door by her wrist._  
 _'This is not ridiculous, ok? This is serious stuff!' Hanna argued as she led the defiant brunette to her car before hauling a suitcase into the back seat._  
 _'I just don't get why I can't get ready here? All my clothes are already here, it doesn't make sense to haul them across town, just to get dressed' Emily protested, pulling her hand out of Hanna's grasp as she stood her ground beside the car._  
 _'Because, it's your first date with Ali and it needs to be perfect. You need to look perfect' Hanna explained with far more excitement than Emily could manage, because she was already feeling nervous about her date with Alison and Hanna wasn't making her feel any less anxious._  
 _'But why does that require me going to your apartment, when I have a perfectly good house here and it's filled with my clothes and make up?' Emily asked again, still not understanding why the blonde was being so persistent on getting ready at Lucas' loft._  
 _'Because you can't pick your date up from the house you live at. Not on a first date, anyway' Hanna replied in frustration. She really wanted her two friends to have an amazing first date, so much so that she had called in a few favors and added a few surprises to the night without telling either of them._  
 _'Fine' Emily sighed as she opened the door to Hanna's car and got in. 'But you better make me look hot' Emily added as she pulled on her seat belt._  
 _'Oh, don't you worry. When I'm done with you, Ali will be drooling like a freaking Doberman' Hanna replied with a smirk as she pulled out of the driveway._

 _Alison was rooting through her closet in search of something to wear for her date, but was growing more and more frustrated by the minute due to the fact that anything cute she had, no longer fitted her due to her blossoming baby bump._  
 _'Knock_ _knock_ _' came a voice as someone knocked on the bedroom door. Alison turned to see Spencer and Aria peering round the door sheepishly._  
 _'Uh, hey guys' Alison greeted with a weak smile before turning back around to her closet. She bit down on her bottom lip while she thought hard about what she could possibly do to fix her clothing situation, because she didn't fit into anything that was cute, and it was too late in the day to go shopping so Alison was quite frankly at a loss and about 30 seconds away from calling Emily and asking if they could just have a night in in their_ _pyjamas_ _._  
 _'What's up?' Aria asked curiously as she and Spencer flanked each sided of Alison._  
 _'I have a date with_ _Em_ _tonight' Alison vaguely explained, her eyes not leaving the carnage that was her closet._  
 _'And you're struggling with what to wear' Spencer finished for the blonde, causing her to nod slowly._  
 _'Ok, well we can help. What are your options?' Aria asked politely, excited to be involved in dressing Alison for her date._  
 _'That's the thing. I don't have any' Alison replied with a hint of sadness, her hands wrapping around her stomach as though she were protecting the baby from her emotions._  
 _'Oh' Spencer whispered knowingly, while Aria looked at the closet with a determined look on her face. Aria stepped into the closet and began to sort through the copious amounts of clothing. She began tossing things into Spencer's arms, while Alison looked on in confusion._  
 _'I just have to pop to my Mom's house to grab a few things, but I'll be right back' Aria explained before running out of the door, leaving Spencer holding the clothes and Alison in bewilderment._

 _Emily rolled her eyes as Hanna held yet another outfit up against her._  
 _'Seriously Hanna, I already said that I liked the blue one' Emily groaned, growing frustrated because she really just wanted to get showered and start getting ready, but Hanna was insistent on her trying every damn outfit until she found the 'right' one._  
 _'You can't be too sure,_ _Em_ _. It has to be perfect' Hanna argued as she looked Emily up and down before tossing the dress to the side and grabbed a pair of jeans and a cute blouse._  
 _'With how obsessed you are over this date, anyone would think you were going to be on it' Emily countered as Hanna held the jeans and top up to her body._  
 _'Hmmm is that an invitation?' Hanna asked with a smirk as she tossed the jeans and blouse to one side. Emily glared at Hanna, silently telling her that she shouldn't even joke about crashing her date._  
 _'Kidding!' Hanna replied with a toothy smile. 'You were right. The blue dress is the best. Go get your ass showered, I'll steam the dress for you' she added as she grabbed the dress from the bottom of a crumpled pile of clothes._  
 _'It wouldn't need steaming if you'd have just listened to me in the first place' Emily pointed out as she headed for the bathroom._

 _Alison smoothed down her dress as she checked herself out in the mirror._  
 _'Aria, this is great. Thank you so much!' She beamed as she checked out the amazing job the smaller brunette had done with it. She had taken one of Alison's dresses and altered it. Cutting it in the back and hemming it with a sewing machine, before adding some ribbon and crisscrossing them over the back like a corset. It gave Alison just the right amount of space she needed in order to fit into the dress, and it looked amazing too._  
 _'Yeah, Hanna would be impressed with this' Spencer added as she examined the snitching of the hem. 'Good job, little one' she complimented endearingly, causing Aria to smile wide._  
 _'I didn't even know you could sew' Alison stated as she turned from side to side, inspecting the dress that fit her perfectly._  
 _'Well, I couldn't until about a week ago' Aria replied, causing Alison and Spencer to look at her, silently signaling her for more information. 'Hanna came to my house with her sewing machine last week, she said that you'd probably need a few adjustments to some outfits, but that she wanted to make sure Emily looked hot for you tonight so, she taught me the basics.' Aria explained._

 _'_ _So_ _you learned to adjust clothing in just a few days?' Alison asked skeptically, feeling grateful that she didn't know this information beforehand because she was sure she'd have never let Aria anywhere near her clothes with a pair of scissors._  
 _'Hey, I'm a really quick learner' Aria protested. 'And Hanna's really persistent. She made me stitch baby clothes over and over until my fingers were practically bleeding' she added, causing Spencer and Alison to chuckle._  
 _'Wow, Hanna's going all out for you guys to have like, the perfect date' Spencer stated, impressed with the stops that Hanna had gone to, just to give Emily and Alison a memorable first date._  
 _'Really? I've barely spoken to her' Alison replied as she turned to grab her curling wand. She wrapped her hair around the shaft of the curling iron, looking at the other two girls in the mirror's reflection._  
 _'Well, we can't go twenty minutes without a text or a phone call. She's been pestering us for days now' Spencer informed Alison, accompanied by Aria, who was nodding her head in agreement._

 _Emily sat in Hanna's passenger seat, her stomach knotting anxiously. She looked up at the house and let out a deep breath, wondering why on Earth it was so hard to get out and walk to the door or the house she was basically living in._  
 _'_ _Em_ _, just suck it up and go get your girl' Hanna coaxed from the driver's seat. 'It's really not that hard' she added with a sigh, because she had her own plans for the evening, and she deserved a night to herself after all the extra work she was putting in behind the scenes to make Emily and Alison's night go amazingly._  
 _'That's easy for you to say, you don't have freaking Jumbo Jet flying around your stomach' Emily replied with a small pout. Her heart was racing, her palms were sweating and Emily wasn't sure if she needed to throw up or take a dump, but either way her stomach was in bits._  
 _'Seriously? I don't understand why you're so nervous. It's Ali for crying out loud' Hanna stated in amazement. Of course, she knew why Emily was nervous, she knew that this was the day that Emily had been waiting for since before even baby–dyke Emily Fields knew that she was in love with Alison_ _DiLaurentis_ _. This day had been coming for over 10 years, so Hanna got that Emily would be anxious, it was why she had gone to such lengths to make sure that it was the perfect evening for both women._

 _Alison tapped her foot anxiously as she watched the clock. Spencer and Aria had left her around ten minutes beforehand, and being alone was making Alison feel nervous. Emily had said that she would be there to pick her up by 5:30, and it was now 5:28, with no sign of the brunette. Alison nervously ran her palms along her thighs as she watched the seconds hand make its way around for another full minute, when the doorbell rang. Alison almost jumped out of her skin, but managed to keep her composure for long enough to actually make it to the door and open it. There stood behind it, was Emily Fields dressed in a thigh length blue dress, with delicate lace detailing around a plunging cleavage, and a huge bunch of flowers in her hands._  
 _'Hi' Alison managed to squeak out, her throat_ _dry_ _at the image of Emily in that dress. It was making Alison's pregnancy hormones go through the roof, and she wanting nothing more than to drag Emily to their bed and spend the night making sweet love, but Alison knew how much it meant to Emily that they at least one thing traditional in their already unconventional relationship. They had only been together for a few weeks and yet they were having starting a family and were unofficially living together, yet they hadn't even had a first date and they hadn't gone through that same honeymoon period that most couples went through, because they were too busy dealing with the whole A.D situation to enjoy their new-found relationship the way normal couples would. Now though, A.D was seemingly gone, the board game was destroyed and they were able to let loose a little and being able to do normal couple things, such as going on a date, was all either of them wanted._

 _'Hi Ali. You look beautiful' Emily said softly as she handed her the flowers she had brought, causing Alison's cheeks to blush at the compliment. Emily took in the sight of Alison in her plain black dress, that hugged her small, growing baby bump in the most delicious way._  
 _'Thanks, you too' Alison replied sheepishly. She knew that if fourteen-year-old Alison could see her now, she'd be rolling her eyes and spouting sarcastic comments, but she didn't care how sappy she looked. This was her Emily, the only person in the world who had the ability to turn her into a mushy puddle with just a look._  
 _'Are you ready to go?' Emily asked, holding her arm out for Alison to take. The other woman smiled and linked her arm into Emily's, allowing the brunette to lead her out of the house and to the car. Emily was the perfect gentlewoman, holding the car door open for Alison to get in, before rounding the car to get in herself. She gently took Alison's flowers from her and laid them on the back seat. Suddenly her nerves were gone, and she was determined to show Alison how she could give a girl the perfect date. As she glanced at the amazing woman beside her, that beautiful smile sitting prominently on across her face, Emily vowed that she would spend every day for the rest of her life making sure that Alison wore that same smile._

'You thought you were so smooth on that date' Alison chuckled, remembering how Emily made every cheesy, Hollywood romance move on her. Holding the doors, pulling out chairs, even ordering the food for her.  
'Hey, I was totally smooth' Emily argued as she playfully slapped Alison's leg, causing the blonde to laugh even more.  
'You called me Ma'am' Alison countered, her eyebrow raised challengingly.  
'Yeah, that wasn't so smooth' Emily admitted, grimacing at the memory.  
'It was a great night though, and Hanna really out did herself that night' Alison commented, smiling at the memory of the night Hanna had set up for them. The French Restaurant that she had booked, and persuaded the owner to set up an outside area with a live Cello player, who played nothing but French Classical music all night long.  
'Yeah, the whole Paris theme was beautiful' Emily agreed, as she thought about how they had danced beneath the stars and drank non-alcoholic wine, because Emily didn't want Alison to feel left out and because she didn't want to get completely wasted on their first date.

'What do you think the girls are doing on their dates right now?' Alison wondered aloud, as she lazily twirled Emily's hair round her finger.  
'God, I dread to think' Emily replied with slight horror as her mind drifted to all sorts of inappropriate things that their daughters could be doing with their significant others.  
'Babe, I'm sure that they're not doing anything bad. I mean, we didn't do anything too scandalous at that age' Alison replied, as she tried to think back to what they got up to at fourteen and fifteen, but she quickly remembered that at fifteen, she had gone missing for a hell of a long time.  
'You know as well as I do that that is a lie, Ali' Emily replied with a knowing smirk, because they had done their fair share of inappropriate things as teenagers. Emily's mind went to the fooling about they had done at the age of fifteen, before Alison went missing. Sure, they didn't actually ever have sex at that point, but Emily was pretty sure they had done pretty much everything but that. Alison was apparently thinking along the same lines as her, because her eyes were suddenly darker and filled with need. Alison leaned down, inching her face to Emily's, who was still resting her head in her lap, and captured her lips into the softest of kisses. Emily's eyes instantly fluttered closed at the contact, before opening again to meet Alison's blue orbs. Even after all these years, Alison still made her heart flutter and she could still see all the love in the world reflected back at her in her Wife's eyes.  
'Let's go to bed' Emily whispered, her voice full of lust and want. She immediately saw Alison's eyes darken with desire and all Alison could do to respond was to give a subtle nod of the head. Emily lifted herself from the couch before reaching out to take Alison by the hand, and lead her up the stairs.

Lily fiddled with the paper napkin, running it through her fingers over and over again, while Ava watched. The two of them sat in silence, not really knowing what to say to each other. It was strange, the dynamic between them had shifted since their kiss. While their emotions and feelings towards each other had become heightened, the spark that their friendship fed from, seemed to have changed, replaced instead with a nervous energy that neither of them could seem to break through. As Lily looked at Ava, she knew that she was looking at the girl she had grown up with. The same girl she had been best friends with almost her entire life, and although their relationship was different now. Lily suddenly realised that she didn't feel any different about Ava than she had a few weeks beforehand because she had always loved Ava, only now her feelings were in perspective and she was able to differentiate between friendship and love, because she was pretty sure she loved Ava.  
'Ava?' Lily suddenly said into the silence that had settled between them. The blonde looked up and Lily was instantly taken away by those blue eyes. 'I know that we haven't really talked about... well, us, since the shooting. I'm sorry about that, I just needed some time let my head catch up with my heart' she explained, as brutally honest as she could be, because she didn't want to lie to Ava. She wasn't going to make up some silly excuse, she wanted Ava to know exactly what was going on in her mind.

Ava listened intently to what Lily had to say, because she had wondered what was going through the brunette's mind. They had barely spoken about their kiss on the day of the shooting, despite Ava's numerous attempts to bring the subject up, and she was beginning to wonder whether Lily had kissed her back that day because she was scared, or whether she was having second thoughts all together. Ava had given Lily two weeks to talk to her. Two long, tedious weeks of wondering, before she finally decided that she didn't want to wait anymore. So, with her heart in her throat, she told Lily that she would be taking her for dinner tonight, end of story. Now she was beginning to wonder whether it would have been better to have just stayed wondering.  
'And what does your heart say?' Ava asked cautiously, because she was so sure that Lily was about to make the blow that she had been waiting for. Ava knew it was crazy to have such strong feelings for someone that had been nothing but a friend until only a few weeks ago, but she also knew that she had never thought of Lily as just a friend. Grace was a friend, Sawyer was a friend, but Lily was special. She had always been more than a friend.

Lily's heart was pounding against her chest as she mulled the question over and over, willing herself to say the words. She didn't know why she was finding it so hard to say, when her mind was practically screaming them. She had read about love, she had watched about it, sang about it, hell she was sure that she had even felt it for herself, but this was different. This love was different to anything she had ever imagined. She knew that love was amazing and mystifying, and one of the most magical feelings you could ever feel, but nobody had ever told her how much love could hurt. How your heart could physically ache at the mere thought of the person you loved, because that was how she felt when she looked at Ava. She felt like her heart would physically burst at the amount of love that it held for the girl in front of her, and she already knew that if she ever lost Ava, it would kill her.  
'Look, I never even thought about us being a possibility. It wasn't something that I planned or wanted.' Lily sighed, and she cringed at how Ava's eyes dropped instantly at those words, as though she had stolen all of her hopes and dreams.  
'But, my heart hurts every time I think of you because it's so incredibly full of love for you, that it feels like it's about to burst out of my chest' she continued, and she couldn't help but smile at the look on Ava's face, because as quickly as it had dropped at her last words, these words made her blue eyes practically dance.  
'My head might be taking a little longer to catch up with my heart, but that's only because of how close we were before all of this, and I'm just not sure when this change happened, or whether it happened at all' she finished, as she reached across the table and took Ava's hands into her own. Right now, Ava was beaming and Lily couldn't help but grin a toothy smile right back at her, because seeing Ava smile was like the best drug in the world. It gave her the best high and she knew there would be no crashes back down afterwards.  
'I love you too' Ava replied through happy tears, because she had never heard a more beautiful declaration of love, and she hoped that she wouldn't have to hear another in her life time, not directed to her anyway, because even at her tender age, she already knew that Lily was the girl she wanted to spend the rest of her life loving and being loved by in return.

Grace leaned into Aaron's kiss, moaning into his mouth as he pushed her back into the leather interior of his car. She shivered as she felt his hands slide up her legs and grope her ass, while her own hands gripped at his bare back, his shirt long forgotten about. She felt her temperature rising as their make out session grew more intense, and that familiar feeling was beginning to settle between her legs as Aaron's body pressed her deeper into the backseat of his Audi. She felt something press against her thigh, something that definitely hadn't been there a few moments ago, and suddenly Aaron's fingers were fumbling with the button on her pants as he tried to unhook them. Grace's eyes shot wide open and her hand slammed out against his chest, pushing him away.  
'What are you doing?' She breathed, her voice uneven as she panted heavily. Aaron pulled back, his forehead wrinkled in confusion and his facial expression looking at her like she had just asked the stupidest question in the world.  
'Uh, I was, well...you know' he replied, as he looked her up and down, and suddenly Grace felt angry because they hadn't even discussed that.  
'Well, what made you just assume that I'd be into that?' She asked accusingly, and suddenly she needed to get out of the car. She needed Aaron away from her, because with him so close it was hard to think and she was about to lose control. She tried hard to wriggle out from beneath Aaron's body, but he was heavy and even with her swimmer's body, she wasn't strong enough to move him.

'Let me out' she demanded, as she pushed her hands against his bare chest, desperately trying to push him off of her.  
'Wait, Grace. Can we jus-' he protested, but the more he spoke, the angrier Grace felt.  
'Get the fuck off of me Aaron!' She shouted, her nails digging into his skin in an effort to inflict some sort of pain to get him off of her. He grabbed her wrists in one hand, pulling them away from his body as he tried to calm her, but Grace was almost feral and needed to get out.  
'Grace, just listen to me! It's no big-'  
'It's no big deal!?' She screamed almost frantically, and it was enough to make Aaron back up a little in the small space of the car. Grace managed to wiggle herself out from beneath him, opening the car door so that she fell out with a thump. She got up from the muddy ground and dusted herself off, giving Aaron a glare from the outside of the car. As Grace turned to walk away, Aaron groaned and got out too, following her down the now darkening lane.  
'Grace, come back' he moaned, 'Please, it wasn't a big deal! I just thought that was what tonight was about' he called after her, causing Grace to spin around angrily. He swallowed as she began to walk back to him, her eyes livid in a way he'd never seen before.  
'You just thought I was some easy whore that would fuck you in your shitty car!?' She screamed, and she looked so incredibly angry, but deep down she was devastated that the guy she had spent over 6 months with, a guy she had trusted and let in, in a way she never had before, could think this little of her.  
'No, Grace I didn't think that' Aaron protested, desperate to calm the petite brunette down. He grabbed her shoulders in an attempt to ground her, but she became overwhelmed by the fury and hurt that she felt and as he gripped her shoulders a little too tight, she found her hand connecting with his face, causing his hands to drop in shock.

Alison snuggled into Emily's side, burrowing her head into the book of her arm. They lay there in a peaceful silence, their hearts racing in sync from the intense sex they had just had.

'We haven't been like this in so long' Alison said sleepily, causing Emily to hum in agreement.

'Well, we haven't had the house to ourselves in so long, we haven't exactly had the opportunity' she pointed out. She silently thought though, as long as they might have dry spells for, they always made up for it when they had the opportunity to get down and dirty.

'True. Why did we decide that kids were a good idea again?' Alison mused playfully, earning a soft slap from Emily. 'What!? I'm just saying, I wish we could be like this all of the time' she added with a chuckle.

'Me too' Emily relied simply, before adjusting her position to settle herself on her elbow. She leaned down, her brunette hair creating a curtain around her face, as she pulled Alison into a loving kiss. Alison quickly deepened it, and Emily thought they were about to go for another round, until they heard the front door open and shut again. Emily let out a groan as she pulled away and flopped to Alison's side, knowing that one of the girls had just arrived home.

Lily made her way into the house and through to the kitchen, kicking her heels off as she sat at the table. She sighed happily as she opened the box containing leftover pizza and pulled out a slice, her head resting on her hand. She had had a great night with Ava, and once they had gotten through the strange awkwardness at the start of the night, they settled back into their usual behaviour around each other. Ava acted goofy and Lily laughed, and they had fun like they always did. The only difference was that she got to kiss Ava at the end of the night, and tell her how much she loved her.  
'Hey Lil, how was your date?' Emily asked as she made her way into the kitchen, dressed in short-shorts and a tank top, her hair pulled into a messy bun on top of her head. As she reached the counter and filled the coffee maker, she couldn't help but notice the gooey-eyed smile on Lily's face.  
'That good, huh?' Emily asked, rolling her eyes when she still didn't get a reply from the daydreaming teenager.  
'Gee, thanks Mom, my date was awesome. How was your night? Well kid, your Mom and I had a great night, we went to bed early and didn't sleep, but you don't want all the gorey details' Emily conitnued her sarcastic conversation.  
'Eww, Mom! Too much information!' Lily finally replied, snapping out of her zone and causing Emily to chuckle.  
'Seriously, how did it go?' Emily asked again as she leaned onto the Island counter on her elbows.  
'It went great' Lily replied simply, but the smile on her face spoke a thousand words, and Emily couldn't keep her own smile from her face. It was nice to see the girls so happy, and that they were with people that made them so happy, even though Emily was still convinced they were far too young to date.

The moment was interrupted by the slam of a door, followed by stomping feet up the stairs. Alison was just coming down the stairs when Grace almost knocked her flying as she angrily sped past her.  
'Grace!?' Alison called after the teenager, but was met with the slam of her bedroom door. Alison groaned, knowing that an angry Grace meant hell for the entire family.  
'What's wrong with Grace?' She asked Emily and Lily as she entered the kitchen.  
'No idea' Lily replied with a shrug, while Emily sighed.  
'I'll go talk to her' Emily replied, pushing herself off of the counter. She pecked Alison on the lips and made her way up the stairs, leaving the blonde and their daughter in the kitchen.  
'So how was your date, Lils?' Alison asked as she poured herself some coffee.  
'Not as good as your night was, by the looks of it' Lily replied as she eyed her Mother's wild, blonde hair and mismatched pajamas. Alison's eyes widened at the accusation and she wasn't sure why she felt so guilty.

'Grace? Can I come in?' Emily asked as she peered her head around the bedroom door.  
'Leave me alone' Grace mumbled into her pillow, and Emily was pretty sure that the teenager was crying, and it broke her heart that her baby girl was hurt. She made her way into the dark bedroom and sat on the bed beside Grace, her hand instantly resting on Grace's back as she rubbed small circles with her thumb. They sat in silence for a while and Emily hoped that Grace would open up. Eventually, the sniffling and sobbing came to an end and Emily wondered if her daughter was ready to talk.  
'You want to tell me what happened tonight?' She asked, her voice so full of love and warmth that always put Grace at ease when she wasn't feeling her best. Grace rolled over and place her head in Emily's lap, snuggling into her Mom's thigh.  
'I had an argument with Aaron' she mumbled sadly.  
'Ok' Emily nodded slowly, her hand still firm on Grace's back. 'And can I ask what it was about? Maybe I can help' Emily asked cautiously, because she knew that one wrong word and Grace was likely to flip off of the handle. Grace stayed silent for a while before sighing.  
'You're not going to like it when I tell you' Grace replied eventually, causing Emily to furrow her brow in confusion, because there was nothing that Grace could do that would make her so angry that Grace should be afraid of telling her.

'Sweetie, you know that you can tell me anything. I won't get angry, I promise' Emily replied, though her mind was swimming with scenarios and she was suddenly terrified that Grace was about to announce that she was pregnant or something.  
'Aaron tried to... he tried to have sex with me' Grace began to explain. 'I told him no and I pushed him away, but she kept pushing it, and then he basically called me easy' she finished, and Grace had been right, Emily didn't like what she had heard. She wanted to find Aaron and string him up by his balls, but she knew that wasn't an option, and she had to pretend for Grace's sake that she wasn't angry. So, Emily took a deep breath and thought about what Grace was telling her. As much as it terrified her, Emily knew that the girls would start experimenting sexually eventually, and she knew that she'd end up having some sort of sex talk with her daughters, but she had thought it would be a long way off yet.  
'Well, um... did you want to...you know, have sex with him?' Emily asked awkwardly, inwardly cringing because she sounded exactly how ever parent ever sounds when talking about sex with their child, and she always vowed that she would never sound like that. Grace however, either didn't notice how awkward Emily was, or didn't seem to care either way, because she lay in silence, processing what her Mom had just asked her.  
'I don't know' Grace replied honestly. 'How do you know when you're ready?' She asked, looking up to Emily with innocent eyes, and all Emily could see was the four year old tiny brunette that she used to cuddle at night when she had a bad dream, not a fifteen year old, flourishing woman, who was about to become sexually active, and she wished that she could just take all three of her children and freeze them in time, so that they couldn't grow up any more than they already had.

Alison sat at the table with Lily, chewing on the crust of a cold pizza slice, while her daughter talked about her date with Lily. She was thrilled that the girls had had such a great time, and she was honestly so happy that her daughter had found someone who loved her and respected her as much as Ava seemed to.  
'There's just one thing that I am worried about though' Ava confessed hesitantly, and Alison's ears pricked at her daughter's tone.  
'What's that?' She asked curiously, wondering what could possibly have her daughter so worried this early on in a new relationship, that was so seemingly perfect. Lily looked down at the pizza box, avoiding her Mother's gaze, before finally talking.  
'Well, I know about love and relationships' Lily started, her eyes still downcast as she spoke. 'And I think I love Ava. It's just, I don't know what it is exactly that you do with another woman' Lily finished, and her heart was in her throat because she wished there was someone else she could ask about this, but she didn't know anyone who had had relationships with women.  
'I'm sorry, I know that this isn't the sort of question that I should be asking you, but I don't know who else I can ask' Lily started to talk again, her words practically falling out of her mouth as she looked up at her Mom. 'I asked Grace, and she told me to watch porn, but that just seemed to fake and forced and to be honest, it grossed me out a little, and at school and stuff, we only really learn about straight couples, and I just want to know what to do when the time comes. Not that I'm ready yet' she added, wanting her Mom to know that her questions were strictly educational, for now at least.

Alison smiled the smallest of smiles, wanting to calm her frazzled daughter, before reaching across the table and taking Lily's hand into her own.  
'First of all, I don't ever want you to think that you can't come to me about anything' Alison started, because as hard as it was to talk to her daughter about this sort of thing, she wanted to make sure that all of her children we being given the right knowledge and facts about anything, and not false information from someone on the playground, or in this case, porn.

'Secondly, I'm glad that you realised that porn isn't the place to go to for things like this. You're right, it is fake and forced, and it's disgustingly misogynistic, because it's made for men, by men. It's hugely inaccurate and if I'm honest, I think it's disrespectful to a lot of women, who are forced to feel that they need to live up to these standards that are set by the women who participate in those videos' Alison explained, and Lily was mesmerised by her Mom's words, because she had never before heard her sound so incredibly passionate about something. Sure, her Mom loved literature, and Lily had heard Alison talk about Dickens and Poe with love in her voice, but this was different. This was something that her Mom had a great belief in, and Lily could completely understand why.

'Look, I'm not going to sit here and tell you the ins and outs of lesbian sex' Alison continued, 'But, I will tell you that when you get to that point, which I'm hoping is a long, long time from now, that you won't need for anyone to tell you what to do. You'll know what feels good for you, and Ava, or whoever it is your with, will know that feels good for them, and together you will figure it out.' Alison finished, and she couldn't help but chuckle a little at the slight look of disappointment that was etched across Lily's face.  
'So that's your answer, I'll know when I know?' Lily asked in disbelief, though she was slightly relieved to not have to hear all the details from her Mom.  
'Sorry kid, but that's the best I can do' Alison chuckled, as Emily and Grace entered the kitchen, the former brunette's eyes tinged red from crying.  
'You ok, Grace?' Alison asked sympathetically, as she eyes Emily for some sign as to what was wrong with their daughter. Amily silently signaled that everything was fine, and Alison knew that they would be talking about this later on.  
'Yeah, just hungry' Grace replied, as she slid into a seat beside Lily and grabbed the slice of pizza that the other girl was reaching for, causing Lily to playfully nudge Grace.  
'Ok, well we're going to head back to bed. You girls don't stay up too late, ok?' Emily said softly. She wondered whether Grace would open up to Lily, though she figured she would, they talked about everything.

Alison and Emily left the girls in the kitchen and headed back to bed, snuggling back down under the covers. It took less than two seconds for Alison to begin questioning about Grace.  
'So, what was that all about with Grace?' Alison asked eagerly, wanting to know what was going on with her daughter. Emily rolled onto her side so that she was facing Alison, her head propped up by her elbow.  
'Well, Aaron tried to...move their relationship along, so to speak' Emily started, looking to Alison carefully, because she wasn't exactly sure how her wife would handle the concept of their girls leading to that stage of a relationship, since she herself was struggling to deal with it, though Alison seemed unfazed by this news.  
'Ok...' Alison pushed for Emily to continue.  
'So, she told him she wasn't ready and he essentially said that he thought that that was what tonight would be about. Grace thought he was trying to say she was easy, so she got a little upset. We just talked it through, she asked me some questions and then we came downstairs' Emily explained, though Alison was still wanting to know more.  
'First of all, why is this boy still breathing when he called our daughter easy?' Alison asked, and Emily had predicted this fiery side of her Wife.  
'He didn't call her easy, he just got his hopes up because he's a teenage boy' Emily explained, causing Alison to instantly calm.  
'Right' Alison sighed. 'So, what did she ask you?' She continued, not wanting to miss a second in their daughter's lives.  
'Just about sex and stuff. How to know when she's ready, that sort of thing' Emily explained vaguely, and Alison's eyes shot wide open because she had never fully realised how in tune their daughters were with each other.

'What?' Emily asked curiously as she eyed Alison like she was a crazy person.  
'Well, I just had a conversation with Lily, and she was asking me about how two women have sex' Alison replied with a smirk.  
'Wait, so they're both having sex now?' Emily asked, her mind working overdrive as she tried to process this information.  
'No, calm down. She was just curious' Alison informed Emily, knowing that her wife was struggling with their daughter's becoming women. 'She just realises that eventually she'll be ready to take that step, and she wanted to be prepared' Alison explained, and Emily instantly settled at the knowledge that her daughter was simply just trying to understand more about who she was.  
'Ok, I can handle that' Emily replied as she settled back down. She rolled onto her back and pulled Alison into her side, snuggling deeper into the bed.  
'We have awesome kids, you know' Emily said into the room with a sigh. She knew how easy it would have been for Grace to have gone through with what Aaron wanted, but instead she said no and she made up her own mind about what she wanted, and whether or not she would go and jump into bed with him anytime soon, Emily had no idea, but at least she had the comfort of knowing that she had thought about it and had gotten some advice, before taking that jump. As for Lily, she felt confident enough to turn to Ali when she was feeling lost and confused about what her new relationship meant and where to take it, and Emily couldn't be prouder of her for turning to them.  
'I know we do, babe' Alison hummed sleepily.


	16. Break Ups and Break Ins

**Guess who's back!**

 **I want to apologise to you all for the long wait on this update, things were mental at work when I got back from my holiday so I didn't get much time for writing at all, and it was hard to get back into the swing of things if I'm hones,t but I'm back in action and ready to bring this story to the end!** **I'll be honest guys, I dont think this is my best chapter, but I needed to get something out to you so I apologise in advance. However, through the 8000 words of pure drabble, there's an epic Emison Flashback, some interaction with the original girls, and a tiiiiiny bit of Avily at the end. I'm thinking I might continue straight from where I left off here, since it ended a bit abruptly... what do you think?**

 **Anywayyyyy, I hope you enjoy and this was worth the wait!**

* * *

Grace skulked down the hall of Rosewood High School, her hood firmly up to hide her face as she hurried to her locker. Her heart was in her throat as she kept her head down, her eyes locked on the ground as she prayed that she wasn't spotted by the one person she was avoiding.  
'Gotcha!' Came a voice, followed by a giggle as Grace's hood was ripped down. The brunette spun on the spot, filled with dread, though she knew the voice of the person behind her didn't belong to the person she was avoiding.  
'Ava!' Grace groaned as she peered around the hall before pulling her hood back up, causing the blonde to raise a questioning eyebrow.  
'What's got your panties in a twist, sis in law?' Ava asks, causing Grace to roll her eyes.  
'How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?' She moans as they begin to walk down the hall together, Ava practically skipping by Grace's side as she giggled at the brunette's frustration.  
'Look, Lils and I have been together for 6 months now. That's practically marriage material in High School' Ava quipped as they reached Grace's locker. The brunette opened her locker, while Ava leaned against the one beside it, her arms folded casually over her chest.  
'Look, I really don't need to be hearing about relationships and marriage right now, ok?' Grace mumbled from inside of her locker, her head stuffed as far into is as she could physically get it.

'Hey Chicas, what's going on?' Came Sawyer's voice as she older teen sauntered down the hall.  
'Grace is having a pity party and apparently nobody is invited' Ava replied, causing Sawyer to chuckle.  
'What's up, baby girl?' Sawyer asked in amusement, figuring that Grace was just pissed at her Moms or something.  
'Nothing, can't a girl just be in a bad mood?' Grace snapped as she pulled her head from her locker and slammed the door shut, before storming off down the hall.  
'Wow, who pissed in her cheerios?' Ava asked, causing Sawyer to roll her eyes.  
'Lil, what's up with Grace?' Sawyer asked Lily, as the other brunette joined the group, carefully eyeing her sister who was now practically throwing freshmen out of her path. Lily sighed sadly as she turned to Sawyer and Ava, who were both looking at her expectantly.  
'She broke up with Aaron' Lily explained simply, and both the other girls were in too much shock to ask anymore. Grace and Aaron had been on and off for a little over a year now and as far as anyone could tell, they were crazy in love. This wasn't something that any of them expected to happen, Lily included.  
'Damn. Well, maybe we should just give her some space. She'll talk to us when she's ready' Sawyer replied softly. She felt for Grace, because though she wasn't entirely sure why she and Aaron had broken up, she knew that her friend had to be hurting.

Alison hummed to herself as she packed her bag up at the end of the day. It was Friday night and she and Emily had a girl's night booked in with Hanna, Aria and Spencer, and Alison was more than excited for a night to let loose. It had been a while since they'd gotten out and let their hair down as a group, and all five women agreed that a nice, carefree night was needed. As she grabbed her bag up from her desk and gave it one last check to make sure she had picked everything up, her phone rang out loud in her hand. Alison peered at the unknown number that flashed up on her screen, debating whether to just ignore it, before hitting the answer button.  
'Hello?' she answered curiously, wondering if it was just one of those scam calls about car accidents.  
'Hi, is this Mrs DiLaurentis-Fields?' a male voice came from the other end of the phone.  
'This is she. Who is this?' Alison asked, even more curious as to who this person was that was calling her.  
'My name's Bryan, I work over at the Freshco on Serenity . I have your son Jude here' the man continued.  
'Oh my god, is he ok?' Alison interrupted, instantly thinking her youngest child was injured.  
'He's perfectly fine ma'am, but I think you should come down here and pick him up' the man stated with a sigh. Alison didn't need to hear anymore, with a quick goodbye she hung up the phone and headed straight to her car, sending Emily a quick text that she would meet her at home. She drove at lightening speed down to the store, curious as to what her son had been up to, though she figured it can't be good if she was getting calls from store clerks.

As she entered the store, Alison saw Jude sitting sheepishly on a stool beside the counter, his head hung low and an unmistakable look of guilt on his face.  
'Jude? What's going on?' Alison asked hesitantly as she walked over to her son, looking between the small brunette boy and the balding man who was stood beside him.  
'You wanna tell your Ma what you've been up to, or should I?' The man asked casually, causing Jude to briefly look up at Alison before dropping his head again.  
'Oscar and Harper dared me to take some candy' Jude mumbled inaudibly and Alison wasn't sure she was hearing correctly.  
'I'm Sorry? Did you just say you were shoplifting?' Alison asked with a harshness to her voice that made Jude flinch. The nine year old nodded silently in response, his stomach in his throat at the thought of the punishment he was going to he receiving from his Moms.  
'What the actual fuck, Jude!? Are you serious right now!?' Alison almost screamed in disbelief. She couldn't believe that her kind natured, if somewhat moody, son would do something as stupid as this.  
'Do you realise how much trouble you could have gotten in? You're lucky the police weren't called' Alison continued, while Jude kept his eyes trained on his feet.  
'I only did it because Harper and Oscar dared me to' Jude mumbled tearfully.  
'Oh, so you do everything that Oscar and Harper dare you to do?' Alison shot sarcastically, and Jude knew that this wasn't something that he was going to get out of lightly.  
'No' he replied sadly. Alison sighed, she couldn't believe that her nine year old son would do something like this, and sure some might say it was only candy, but she thought she and Emily had raised their children to be better than that.

'I am so sorry for my son's behaviour' Alison apologised as she turned to the store clerk. 'I don't know what got into him, he doesn't usually pull stuff like this'  
'Look, he's just a kid. He made a mistake and I'm sure he's learned his lesson' the man replied sincerely.  
'Yeah, well he won't even think about doing anything like this by the time I'm done with him' Alison stated. 'Jude, get in the car' she demanded. The small brunette boy got up wordlessly, following his Mother's instructions without an argument.  
'Thank you for not calling the cops, and sorry again for the trouble' Alison apologised again, before hurrying out of the store, Jude following on her heels. They reached the car and Alison fished for the keys from her purse when Jude finally attempted to speak up.  
'Mom, I-'  
'I don't want to hear it, Jude. Just get in the car' Alison interrupted, her tone defeated, as she unlocked the car and slid in behind the steering wheel. Jude froze for a second before climbing into the back of the car dejectedly. He really was sorry for what he had done, but he knew that it would take more than a sorry to make up for letting his Mom down.

Grace sat silently in the back of the car while Emily and Lily chatted animatedly in the front. She wasn't much in the mood for small talk. In fact, she wasn't much in the mood for anything.  
'How was your day, Grace?' Emily asked from the front of the car, peering at Grace through the rear view mirror.  
'Fine' Grace replied simply, not bothering to look up at her Mom.  
'Ok.. did you see Aaron today?' Emily asked, hoping that the mention of the boy that Grace had spent the last year completely obsessed with, would take her out of whatever funk the sixteen year old was in.  
'No! Ok? God, are you done interrogating me now?' Grace snapped angrily, causing Lily and Emily to raise their eyebrows in shock. Emily pulled the car up into the drive and put the vehicle into park. She unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to talk to Grace, but the younger brunette was already out of the car and at the front door by the time Emily even had the car fully stopped.

'What's wrong with her?' Emily asked, turning to Lily who was sitting beside her still.  
'Uh, well, I'm not sure that I should tell you. Grace might get mad' Lily replied anxiously, looking down at her nails as she spoke. Emily automatically assumed that Grace had gotten into some kind of trouble at school, and was wondering why she hadn't already heard about it.  
'What did she do?' Emily sighed, bracing herself for a story about Grace tackling one of the guys on the football team and breaking his nose, or cussing out a girl during class.  
'Nothing! She hasn't done anything' Lily replied quickly, looking back up at Emily to show that she wasn't lying.  
'So what's so bad that you can't tell me?' Emily asked curiously, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. Lily hesitated, unsure whether to answer her Mom's question or not.  
'Lily?' Emily pressed impatiently, causing the younger brunette to sigh.  
'She broke up with Aaron last night. At least, I think she broke up with him. I'm not really sure of the details' Lily said finally, causing Emily's eyes to widen in shock. Grace was infatuated with Aaron, she couldn't understand why she would break up with him. Sure, their teenage romance had been a little rocky at times, but as far as Emily was concerned, Grace and Aaron were solid and hopelessly in love.

'You can't tell her I told you, she doesn't even know that I know' Lily added quickly.  
'So, how do you know about it?' Emily asked in confusion.  
'Kaley is friends with some of the guys on the football team. They told her and she told me, but she didn't know any details. I just don't really know how to ask Grace about it' Lily confessed, and Emily could see that the teenager was worried by this situation. The girls were so close and talked to each other about everything, but Grace wasn't one to show her emotions when she was feeling sad, and Emily knew that Lily didn't want to upset her already volatile sister.  
'I don't think there's much use in asking her sweetie' Emily replied as she reached forward and tucked a strand of hair behind Lily's ear. 'You just need to be patient with her and be there for her when she's ready' Emily finished, her face filled with compassion and pity for her daughters. She wished that she could take away Grace's pain and hurt, and she wished she could tell Lily how to deal with the confliction she felt, but she knew that there really was nothing she could do. Her girls were growing into young women, and with growing up came break ups and hard decisions, and while she could be there to help pick them back up if they needed it, Emily ultimately knew that these were situations that she'd have to let them learn to handle.

Jude sat with his head down on his folded arms at the kitchen table while Alison slammed cupboards and cutlery as she began to prepare dinner. She had hardly said a word to her son since she had picked him up from the store, not trusting herself to stay calm. She still couldn't believe that he would be so stupid to shoplift, and while she knew it was harmless what with it just being a candy bar, she couldn't stop her mind from wondering if this was just the start of Jude becoming a fully fledged criminal. She had images of him sitting in a prison cell, with a metal toilet beside a shitty bunk and a bullying cell mate. When she heard the door slam, Alison turned to peer through to the front door just in time to see Grace stomp up the stairs. Alison rolled her eyes, figuring that her daughter was in one of her moods and knowing that she really wasn't in the mood herself to deal with that today.  
'Hey' called Lily and Emily a few minutes later and Jude lifted his head instantly, his eyes widening at the sound of his other Moms voice. As angry as Alison was, Jude knew that Emily would be even angrier and he was about to get another round of scolding.  
'Hey babe' Emily greeted Alison as she made her way across the kitchen, dropping her bag on the table before walking over to peck Alison on the lips, while Lily sat at the table opposite Jude and pulled her phone out to text Ava.

'How was your day?' Emily asked with a smile, happy to be in the presence of the woman who made her entire world spin.  
'Well, my day was great. Until about a half hour ago when I got a call from the Freshco down on Serenity to tell me they caught our son shoplifting' Alison said, and Emily could hear the anger that still lingered in Alison's tone. She couldn't believe what her wife was telling her. What possible reason would have their son stealing from the local grocery store?  
'You did what!?' Lily exclaimed with wide eyes as she peered at Jude over her phone. 'Boy are you in trouble' she added, earning a pointed look from Emily while Jude's face filled with shame and embarrassment.  
'Lily, I really don't think now is the time' Alison snapped, causing Lily's mouth to snap shut and her cheeks to flush.  
'Uh, Lils why don't you go upstairs and call Ava or something, huh? I need to have a chat with your brother' Emily offered, wanting to get Lily out of the way, because Alison was pissed and Emily knew that nobody would be safe from her Wife's line of fire. Lily sighed and pushed her chair out as she stood from the table.  
'Nice knowing ya, Kid' she muttered to Jude with a soft tap to the shoulder before she left the room and headed up the stairs.

As Lily made her way to the top of the stairs, she could see straight into Grace's bedroom and was met with the sight of the other brunette lying on the bed with her back to the door.  
'Grace? You Ok?' Lily asked sheepishly as she peered round Grace's bedroom door. The sight of her sister lying curled in a ball on her bed made Lily's heartache and she wished she knew what to do to make it better. She stood silently for a moment, waiting for a response from the other girl, but when there was no response, Lily couldn't take it anymore. She knew that She should give Grace space and let her come forward and talk about Aaron when she was ready, but Lily needed to take away at least some of the pain her sister was feeling. She needed Grace to know she was there for her. Lily entered and walked across the room. She climbed onto the bed and lay herself down behind Grace, pulling her sister into a tight hug as though she were spooning her from behind, and held her close. The sudden contact caused all of the pent up hurt and anger that Grace had been holding in, to bubble up into a lump in her throat. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she choked out a sob, and Lily almost began crying right alongside her, but she held it in for the sake of Grace. Grace, who was always the one to stay strong, always fighting for the both of them and never giving up, needed Lily to be the strong one this time. For once, she needed Lily to help her and hold her and fight for her, until she was able to fight for herself again.  
'I'm here for you, for whatever you need' Lily hushed as she gently pulled tear soaked hair away from Grace's face and placed a soft kiss to her cheek, before snuggling back down and silently holding her sister. She felt every sob and every heavy breath as Grace sobbed into her pillow and she wished that she could take her place, if even for a second.

'I know it was wrong and I shouldn't have done it. I'm sorry, it's just that they dared me to do it and I guess I got carried away' Jude attempted to explain to his Moms. Emily listened silently while the young brunette apologised. She tried to remain calm, though the thought of Jude shoplifting made her angry, but she figured that Alison was angry enough for the both of them.  
'Look buddy, I'm not going to tell you that I'm not angry, because I am' Emily sighed. 'I can understand that you felt pressured into it by Oscar and Harper, but that's still not an excuse.'  
'I know' Jude mumbled in response.  
'Look, I guess that we have to punish you for this. So I'm grounding you for a week. No soccer, no computer, no TV. Nothing. Just school, homework and chores' Emily stated in a firm tone, because she needed Jude to know that this wasn't up for debate. He had done wrong, and he needed some sort of punishment for it.  
'Ok' Jude sighed sadly. He wanted to argue and try to get a lighter sentence, but even he knew that this was as light as he was going to get it. 'But what about tonight?' he asked hopefully, because he had been looking forward to spending the night at Hanna and Caleb's, while his Moms went out for the night.

'Well, I guess you won't be going to stay with Caleb. You'll have to stay here with your sisters instead' Emily replied with a sigh, because she knew that it wasn't an ideal situation. She knew the girls were perfectly capable of watching Jude, they had done it a thousand times, but she had felt more comfortable knowing that her youngest child was safe and sound with Caleb. Emily looked to Alison for some kind of signal, but her Wife was still fuming, and Emily knew that she wasn't going to get anything from her right now.  
'Ok, I figured you'd say that' Jude replied sadly, tears brimming his chocolate coloured eyes. Emily hated that her son was so sad, and she hated that she was the reason for it, but she knew she had to make him see that shoplifting was not ok. Still, she felt bad because Jude was a good kid, he never complained or got into trouble. He had always just taken everything in his stride and accepted what was thrown at him. He was such a laid back and chilled kid, so laid back in fact, he was practically lying down.

'Can I go to my room, now?' Jude asked softly, looking up to Emily with tearful eyes. Emily sighed and nodded in response, letting him go and spend some time alone to think about what he had done.  
'No computer or TV though' she reminded him as he stood form the table and left the kitchen. When Jude had left the kitchen, Emily stood from her seat at the table and made her way across the kitchen to Alison, wrapping her arms around the blonde woman, who melted instantly into her Wife's touch.  
'So, are we really going to leave him here with the girls tonight?' Alison asked after a few minutes. Her anger had subsided quickly and she was now relatively calm under Emily's touch. It amazed her that even after all these years together, Emily still had the ability to change her mood with a simple touch or look.  
'I don't think we have much of a choice' Emily sighed in response. 'He'll be fine here with the girls' she added, noticing the apprehensive look in Alison's face. Emily gently took Alison's chin between her thumb and forefinger, tilting her wife's head upwards a little to look into her eyes.  
'Either way, we are going out tonight and we are going to have some fun' Emily stated, before leaning down to capture Alison's lips with her own.

'Ok, Ladies. Are we ready for a great night?' Hanna asked excitedly as she entered the DiLaurentis-Fields house, Ava tailing behind her with a wide smile. Both blondes were more than a little excited about the night they had ahead of them. Hanna was looking forward to a well-earned night on the town with her best friends, and Ava was just looking forward to spending some time with Lily. The two teenagers had been even more inseparable since they got together, and were enjoying the way their relationship was blossoming. Lily had never thought it would be possible to love someone the way that she loved Ava, and she had never thought someone could make her feel so loved in return.  
'I have never been more ready for anything' Alison replied as she poured a glass of wine for Hanna. Alison handed the glass to the other blonde woman and clinked their glasses together, before taking a sip of the red wine.  
'That's what I like to hear' Hanna replied with a smile. 'Where's Em?'  
'Emily is talking to Jude. He's staying here with the girls tonight' Alison replied casually. She knew that she would need to talk to Hanna and Aria about what happened with the boys today, and as much as she didn't want to ruin the night they had ahead of them, she figured that it was best to tell them before they were all too drunk to talk about it coherently.

'Ok, so you're to stay in your room. No TV, no computer. I want you to do your homework and be in bed by 9' Emily stated, while Jude nodded in response. As much as he hated his punishment, he knew there was no point arguing. He would have to grin and bear it for a week, and hope that maybe his Moms would cave before the week was up.  
'Ok, I'll check in with the girls later to see how everything is going' Emily added before leaving Jude's bedroom, closing the door behind her. She felt bad for being so harsh on Jude, but she also knew that her children needed discipline and consequences, as much as she hated being the one to punish them. Emily looked back at the door, before walking down the hall. She passed Lily's room, taking a peak in to see that she and Ava were sitting on the bed giggling, it all seemed innocent enough, so Emily left the two girls to themselves, before continuing to Grace's room. The door was closed and the room was silent inside. It had been that way all day long, and Emily hadn't dared to attempt to speak to her daughter yet. She wasn't even really sure what she could say to the younger brunette. Though she had plenty of experience of heartbreak, she wasn't sure that she was the right person to advise on how to deal with it, since she'd pretty much gone off the rails with each girlfriend she had lost over the years. With regret in her heart and her stomach in knots, Emily walked away from the bedroom door, deciding that maybe this was something that she and Alison needed to approach their daughter about together.

Emily entered the kitchen to see that Hanna, Aria and Spencer had all arrived in the time she had been upstairs contemplating what to do about Grace. She realised that she couldn't enjoy her night without talking to Grace first.  
'Hey guys' she greeted the group, who were sitting around the table, cradling their own glasses of wine, while Sawyer sat and talked with them about her physiotherapy from her injuries during the shooting a few months previously. The teenager had had an intense recovery period, but was now finished with her physio and was back to living as normal of a life as she could.  
'Ali, I think we need to talk to Grace before we go. I'm worried about her' Emily said to her wife, who didn't miss the confliction in Emily's eyes.  
'Ok, we'll talk to her now' Alison replied with a small smile, before looking to the other women at the table. 'You guys don't mind holding on for a while, do you?' She asked them.  
'No, not at all!' Aria replied instantly, her own look of concern on her face.  
'Is everything ok with her?' Spencer asked, matching Aria's concern. Those girls were like her own children, and Spencer had always vowed to help look after them. If there was something wrong, then she wanted to help if she could.  
'She broke up with Aaron' Sawyer answered, before Emily or Alison could reply.  
'What? Why!?' Hanna asked in shock, only to be met by blank faces from Emily, Alison and Sawyer, since none of them had actually spoken to Grace about what had happened, and while Lily had mentioned to Emily and Alison that Grace had been crying, even Lily hadn't managed to get any answers from her sister.

Emily and Alison were about to head upstairs to talk to Grace, when the teenager decided to make an appearance. Dressed in a baggy t-shirt and shorts, with her hair pulled into a top knot and her eyes tinged red, she was far from the pristine look she usually presented herself in. She silently walked past the group of women at the table and headed straight to the fridge, grabbing out a bottle of water, before closing the door and turning. Grace looked up to see the five women and Sawyer, all looking at her. Grace rolled her eyes, before turning to head out of the kitchen.  
'Grace, could you come sit here for a minute please?' Emily asked softly, stopping the teenager in her tracks.  
'I don't want to talk, Mom' Grace replied, her voice husky from the evident crying she had spent the afternoon doing.  
'Grace. Sit down please' Alison tried, her voice slightly firmer than her wife's. Grace sighed and turned on her feet, frustration and anger evident in her eyes.  
'I said I don't want to talk!' She replied, her voice raised and trembling with unshed tears and pent up anger. With six sets of eyes on her, Grace had never felt smaller, but her anger was getting the best of her.  
'And I said to sit down, now sit at the damn table' Alison replied, her own frustration mounting, and even though she was filled with rage and sadness, Grace knew better than to push any further. She made her way across the kitchen and sat herself at the table between Emily and Spencer.

'What is going on, Grace?' Alison asked firmly, causing the teenager to let out a heavy breath, because she knew that she wasn't about to get out of this without talking, and talking was the last thing she wanted to do right now, especially in front of this many people.  
'Sawyer, why don't you go upstairs and hang out with Lily and Ava' Aria suggested, though Sawyer knew that it wasn't a question. She offered Grace a small smile, before sliding her chair out and leaving the room.  
'Grace?' Emily prompted once Sawyer was gone. 'What happened?' She repeated Alison's question, though her tone was much softer than her Wife's. Grace remained silent for a moment, trying her hardest not to burst into tears as she thought about Aaron and how much he had hurt her. Tears brimmed her already red eyes as she started to talk.

'Aaron... he cheated on me' Grace choked out the words, her tears finally spilling over, and she hated how vulnerable and weak she felt. She hated that she had let someone turn her into this person that was so not her. She was strong and fierce and unbreakable, and yet this one person had made her feel that she was worthless, and weak and had shattered hear heart into a million pieces, and Grace didn't know how to deal with that.  
'Oh sweetie' Emily hushed, pulling her daughter into her. She wrapped her arms firmly around Grace, and pulled her in like she had done a million times before. Emily's heart hurt for her daughter, while Alison quietly fumed that Aaron had done this to her daughter.  
'I'll kill him' she muttered, her eyes flashing dangerously and her jaw clenching tight as she thought about all the things she wanted to do to the boy who had hurt her baby girl.  
'Ali, that won't help things' Spencer reasoned. 'Besides, you're his teacher. You can't hurt a student' she reminded the blonde.  
'Well I'm not. I'll kill him for you' Hanna piped up, her own anger almost matching Alison's. 'Give me his address, I'll go there right now. Cut the prick's balls off and shove them down his throat' she continued.  
'Hanna, this isn't helping. Spencer is right' Aria spoke up. 'Why don't we just focus on helping Grace right now' she suggested gently as she watched the Sixteen-Year-Old sobbing into Emily's chest. She remembered the first time she had felt her own heartbreak, and she knew that the other four women were probably feeling the same way. Between them, they had suffered their fair share of heartbreak, and she figured that they could at least help Grace to cope with the way she was feeling.

As if she was reading Aria's mind, Spencer spoke up.  
'Grace, I know that you're hurting right now, and I know that you're feeling angry, but we can help you with this. We've all been through our share of heartache and break ups, and I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we're here for you. Whatever you need, we will be there to help, because we love you' Spencer said softly, and Alison couldn't help t smile a little at the other woman's words, because they were exactly the words she would have said herself had she not been imagining ways to make Aaron suffer.  
'It just hurts so much' Grace whispered through her tears, that had now soaked through Emily's dress. Emily placed a tender kiss to the teenager's head as she wiped away a tear from Grace's cheek.  
'I know it does, sweetie' she replied sympathetically, and she couldn't help but remember all the heart ache she had suffered. How much it hurt when Maya died, how it pained her to let Paige leave for California, and of course, the rollercoaster she had gone on with Alison. As much as it hurt to go through those things, Emily knew that she would do them a hundred times over if it got her what she had now.  
'Yeah right. You've got Mom, you're happy' Grace scoffed sadly, because she couldn't understand what her Moms could possibly understand about heartache when they were clearly so in love. Hanna couldn't help but chuckle a little at Grace's words.  
'Please, your Mom was like the Queen of heartache when we were younger' Hanna replied, causing Grace to look up in confusion.  
'But, I thought you and Mom had loved each other since High School?' She asked. 'I know that Mom went AWOL for a bit, but I always figured that you were together from then?' She explained, and Emily didn't miss the sad look that flashed across Alison's face, because she still felt guilty for what she put Emily through all those years ago.

'It didn't exactly happen like that' Alison replied stiffly, because this wasn't something that she was comfortable talking about with anyone other than Emily.  
'Before your Mom, I had relationships with other people' Emily started, wanting to steer as far away from her history with Alison as she could, because she wasn't sure what her Wife felt comfortable sharing and what she didn't.  
'When I was Sixteen, I met a girl called Maya. We were together for a while, but she got sent away' Emily started to explain sadly, while Grace sat back and listened curiously, because she had never heard about the people her Moms had dated before they got together.  
'When she came back, we gave it another shot, but unfortunately, Maya died' Emily continued, causing Grace's eyes to widen in shock, while the other women looked on in sadness. Alison had heard about how hard Maya's death was for Emily, and as much as she didn't like the thought of Emily ever being with anyone else, she knew how hard it must have been for her now Wife, to cope with. Spencer, Hanna and Aria all looked on with a heaviness in their hearts at the memory of Maya's death and how Emily had sobbed. It hit Hanna particularly hard to see Emily like that, and for weeks after, she woke in a cold sweat as the image of a heartbroken Emily haunted her dreams.

'Then there was Paige' Emily continued, while Alison smiled a little at the mention of Paige's name. It still made her skin crawl at the thought of Emily being with Paige, but she no longer had any hatred for the other woman, because she was very aware that had it not been for Paige forcing her to come to terms with her feelings, Alison might not have the life she had right now. If there was anything to be thankful to Paige for, it was for giving her Emily and the life that came with her.  
'Paige and I were on and off for a long time, but she moved to California. We got together again after that, but it didn't work out' Emily finished, not wanting to go into more detail, but Grace had a lot of questions.  
'So, what about Mom? Where did she come along?' Grace asked, and Spencer, Hanna and Aria looked on at the other two women, waiting to see how they would react at the loaded question.  
'Your Mom was always there in the background. It just wasn't the right time for us back then' Emily answered after a moment, while Alison felt her heart swell even more for her Wife. Even though she knew that Emily held no animosity for the person she used to be, Alison was very much aware of the pain and hurt she caused the other woman, but Emily never let it show and never made Alison feel guilty for those years. Not since the day she finally opened up, and Alison still vowed that that day was the best day of her life.

 _They had spent the last thirty minutes tidying the mess that was the nursery, trying to erase at least some of the damage that A.D had caused, because honestly it scared the hell out of both of them. How were they supposed to raise a baby when someone was breaking into their home and making their lives hell? How were they supposed to have any sort of normalcy in this fucked up situation they had been forced into? These were all questions that both women were thinking, but were too afraid to ask, scared that the answers might not be what they wanted to hear. Instead, they were pretty much winging the whole baby thing, and hoping for the best. Hoping that they could make the best of this situation, and the rest would fall into place later. But still, Alison couldn't get one thought off of her mind. It had been on a loop, like a broken record, since her conversation with Paige, and the more time went on, the more she craved it. The more she needed to finally just come clean and admit what she wanted, however much that terrified her, and it did. The thought of letting someone into her heart, really and truly, absolutely petrified her. Sure, she had thought she was in love before. She thought she had loved Elliot, and the guys that came before that, but when she really let herself think about it, no-one in her life had ever even remotely compared to the way she felt about Emily. She hated that it was Paige that had gotten her to finally come around to the idea though._

 _Still though, here she was, tidying the nursery that would belong to a baby that would belong to she and Emily. Worrying about how they would raise said baby and keep him or her safe from harm. Amongst the fears and the worries and the questions, were fantasies. Fantasies of waking up and seeing Emily holding their bundle of joy, sharing night feeds and snuggling up with their baby in the evening. Sharing smiles and memories together. Thoughts that gave her a warm tingly feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she knew that she couldn't keep debating it.  
_ _'I don't know why I thought I had to protect you' Emily spoke out loud, continuing the conversation that had been going back and forth for the past few minutes. 'You're basically the strongest person I know'  
_ _  
Alison couldn't stop herself from smiling at these words, because Emily had never been more wrong of anything in her life. Sure, Alison seemed strong on the outside, and maybe she was in a lot of ways, but really she knew that she was just ballsy and brassy, and she was able to use those personality traits to cover how vulnerable and scared she really was. Besides, she always knew that the only reason she was able to come across so strong and confident was because she had Emily by her side.  
_ _'You've always protected me, Em' she found herself replying, and she hadn't even had to think about those words. They came so easily, and Alison figured that this whole 'being honest' thing maybe wouldn't be as hard as she thought. After all, lying hadn't done her any good over the years, whether it be to the people around her, or herself.  
_ _'Ever since I met you, I knew I could count on you' Alison continued, feeling some of the heaviness that had become a permanent fixture over the years, release from her with her honesty._

 _'So, why did you always push me away?' Emily asks, and Alison internally cringes at the words. She can hear the pain that still lingers in Emily's voice, because the brunette is still hurting after the years of Alison's games. Years of Alison being unable to finally just admit how she felt and tell Emily exactly what she meant to her. Sure, she had tried it once before. Back when she first came back to Rosewood. She had told Emily that those kisses weren't for practice, but she never took the time to sit and tell Emily exactly what she meant to her. Hell, she'd even fucked with Emily recently. The night she found out she was pregnant, Alison was scared and she had found herself leaning on Emily, needing that familiar comfort that only the brunette could provide, and as wrong as she knew it was, Alison allowed herself to indulge just a little. She had never slept as soundly, wrapped in the arms of the woman she was too scared to love. And that was the problem, even at that point, she was too scared to tell Emily how she felt. Too scared to jump in and let Emily fully into her heart, in a way Alison had never done before. So, when it came down to it and Emily started to question what that night meant, Alison found herself lying before she could even think about it. Pushing Emily away once again. No more though. Alison vowed to herself in that instant, that she wasn't going to do it again. She wanted those visions, those fantasies, to be real. She wanted to wake up to Emily ever morning, and to sleep beside her every night. She had promised to raise this baby for Emily, without ever thinking about what it meant. Without thinking of why she was doing it. But she knew now, and Alison was ready to finally start being honest with Emily, and with herself._

 _Alison found herself turning to look at Emily, needing to draw confidence from the woman she was about to lay it all out on the line to, because it was possibly the scariest thing she had ever done, but she needed to do it. She wanted to.  
_ _'I don't know' she answered honestly, because really there was no valid excuse. The reason was that she had been a coward and she had been scared, and she hadn't been strong in the slightest, because if she had, then she would have told Emily how she felt 10 years ago.  
_ _'But, I'm ready to stop' she finally added, and Emily peered up at her with such sincerity and vulnerability, that Alison found herself frozen. Those brown eyes that were practically begging her to not mess with her again, and Alison hated that she was the cause of the subtle hint of pain that sat beneath the surface. Alison found herself slowly walking closer to Emily, needing to both be close to her and reassure her that she meant it this time. No more games, no more bullshit. Just 100% honesty.  
_ _'I want to do this. Together' Alison started, taking her time to get her words out, because she wanted this to be right. She wanted to get these words out without fucking them out, and it terrified her, and not just because Emily looked like a deer caught in headlights and like she was about to bolt any second._

 _'What do you mean together?' Emily asked nervously, her voice husky and low and filled with anxiety and caution, and god Alison wanted to kiss her. She knew though, that she needed to let her feelings known. She had to finally get it out and let Emily see what she meant to her, and so, with a deep breath to steady herself, Alison continued.  
_ _'I want to be a family' she replied, and the words caused Emily to gulp heavily, because she had sort of been expecting this. She had expected Alison to get scared and to freak out about the baby, she had expected some sort of want to do this as some sort of unconventional family, but Emily wasn't in this for that. Sure, she loved Alison, and she was sure that would never change, but the other woman had caused her nothing but hurt and pain over the years whenever they had made an attempt to move into that territory, and it had taken Emily years to get through the pain that was left in the wake of Alison DiLaurentis. In fact, it still stung now if she really thought about it.  
_ _'Alison, I have to be clear abou-' Emily started, but Alison was cutting her off before she could finish, the blonde determined to get her words out and her feelings across before Emily shut her down._

 _'Over the years, I've been in so many failed relationships' Alison said, her voice softer and more honest than Emily had ever heard it before. The blonde was getting impossibly close now, and Emily could feel the air thicken around them as she became overwhelmed by Alison's closeness.  
_ _'I always made excuses why' Alison continued, still taking her time to get her words out, because she wanted Emily to really hear them and understand that this time, she meant them. This time was different. This time, she was ready for something more.  
_ _'But I know the reason' she wanted Emily to just step up and tell her that she understood, that she could see how hard this was for her and that it was ok. She wanted Emily to take her into her arms and hold her close, and tell her she knew that the love she felt was real. But Emily stood silently and clueless as she waited and listened curiously to the words that Alison was saying.  
_ _'Paige tried to get me to say it, but I didn't want to say it to her' Alison stated, looking away from Emily, because it still shamed her that it was Paige of all people that was finally able to get her to this point. Emily looked more confused as ever at the mention of her ex-girlfriend, and Alison's least favourite person. What did Paige have to do with any of this?_

 _'What did Paige-'  
_ _'I love you' Alison blurted, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them, because they were the words she had spent this time building up to, trying to get the courage to say, but she couldn't wait any longer. She needed Emily to know. Emily froze, shell shocked at this admission. Sure, they had told each other that they loved each other, they said it all the time, but it had always been strictly platonic before now, at least on Alison's part anyway. This felt different though. The air around them was thick and for the first time, Alison sounded genuine in her admission. Emily found herself battling internally, because she had wanted this, god she had wanted it for so long, but she had given up on it so long ago. She had wanted to hear Alison say those words so many years ago, and now that she was hearing them, she wasn't sure what was real anymore._

 _Alison could see the conflict in Emily's eyes, the hesitation and the uneasiness, but she could also see the hope and the want, the fear and the hurt. Emily was like a roulette wheel of emotions, and Alison wasn't sure which one she was going to settle on. All she knew was that Emily looked adorable right now, because she looked so utterly confused, and Alison knew that she needed to be clearer. She moved impossibly close, removing the stuffed bear from Emily's hands as she spoke.  
_ _'You told me not to do this until I was ready' she spoke softly, her heart hammering as she prepared herself to do what she had wanted to do since Emily had taken such care of her at the school.  
_ _'Do what?' Emily asked almost instantly, her voice impossibly low and huskier than it had been before, as she tried her best to contain the hope that was attempting to burst from her, in case she was reading the signals all wrong. Alison couldn't help the tiny smile that appeared, because god did Emily look beautiful, and Alison could tell that the brunette still hadn't clicked on to what she was trying to say yet. She found herself closing the gap, reaching to gently tuck a strand of dark hair behind Emily's ear as she prepared herself to make the next move.  
_ _'This' the word was barely a whisper, before she found herself moving in to finally capture Emily's lips in her won, in the sweetest most loving kiss she could possibly give to the other woman. She wanted to convey all of her feelings in a way that she knew she couldn't screw up, because even when she couldn't find the words to tell Emily how she felt, Alison could never hide it in her kisses._

 _She instantly felt Emily's hand move up to tangle in her hair, and Alison couldn't help but smile, while Emily thought her heart was about to burst out of her chest as she kissed Alison with all the want and need that had been bottled up inside of her for so long. The past few weeks, it had all come bubbling to the surface again, along with her feelings for the other woman. Emily had spent that time trying her hardest to push them down, instead looking for alternate sources, such as Paige. None of them truly compared though, but Emily never thought in a million years that she would have this. To be kissing Alison, and knowing that this time it was really. To have Alison look at her like she was all that mattered in the world.  
_ _  
'Ali' she whispered against the blonde's lips. 'Promise me it's real this time?' She practically begged, because this felt so good and so right, and even though it felt different to all the other times they had kissed, Emily still needed that confirmation. She still needed to hear those words, and Alison didn't blame her. She knew what she had put Emily through over the years, and she knew that she had a hell of a lot of proving to do, to show the brunette that she was serious this time. Alison cupped Emily's cheek with her hand, her thumb making light motions across a tanned cheek.  
_ _'I promise you, Emily, I have never been as serious about anything else in my life and nothing has ever been as real as the way I feel about you' Alison replied honestly. The look of love on Emily's face was intoxicating, and Alison wondered why she had taken so long to do this, because if this was her reward for telling Emily the truth, then she would be telling nothing but the truth from now on.  
_ _'I love you, so, so much and I'm so sorry that it took me so long to realise it' Alison added, smiling softly when she spotted happy tears fill Emily's eyes, threatening to spill forn her beautiful face._

 _'I love you too' she croaked a response, before crashing their lips back together, her tears falling in that instant_.

Alison smiled at the memory, and she still wished that she had gotten her shit figured out way before then, because she knew that she had wasted valuable years with Emily. She regretted never getting to take Emily to Prom or Homecoming and never taking a couples Graduation picture together. Alison wished she had been strong enough to do all of those things with Emily, because the brunette deserved those memories.  
'I guess what we're trying to say, is that you'll go through a lot of break ups, but in the end it all works out for the better' Spencer said softly. 'And sometimes you'll love that person, but it's not right and you have to make that decision to let them go. It doesn't mean it's over, I mean, look at Toby and I. We broke up 10 years ago, and now I'm with Dave and he's with Imogen, and that's ok, because together we have an amazing daughter, who connects us together' she added with a fond smile, because she loved her husband Dave, but she knew that she would always love Toby.

'Basically kid, you gotta go through the shit to get to the good stuff' Hanna summarised, causing the other women to roll their eyes at the typical Hanna remark, but it made Grace smile and that was good enough for Emily.  
'Thanks. I guess I just need to leave Aaron behind me and move on' Grace replied with a sad sigh. 'It sucks though' she added, and the five women nodded sympathetically, humming in agreement.  
'It does suck, but do you know what helps?' Aria spoke up, causing Grace to look at her questioningly.  
'A Pint of Chunky Monkey and all the chocolate you can eat' Hanna interrupted, causing the women to giggle.  
'I was going to say friends, but that's good too' Aria replied with a chuckle.

Grace had spent the whole day moping and feeling sorry for herself, and she really hadn't wanted to talk to anyone, but she was glad that her Moms had made her open up. It made her feel at least a little better about the situation, if only because she knew that she wasn't a complete loser for being so sad. She figured that she needed to take the good memories of Aaron and learn from the bad stuff, and she was feeling a bit more open to talking about her feelings.  
'How you feeling, Grace?' Sawyer asked, as the two girls lay on her bed casually, listening to the soft music that flowed from the iPod dock. Ava and Lily had left them alone a while ago, and Sawyer had been hesitant to ask Grace about Aaron, knowing that her friend had had a tough night already.  
'I'm ok. It sucks, but I'll be ok' Grace replied with a small smile. Sawyer flashed her a sympathetic smile, before pulling the younger girl into her chest, hugging her close.  
'If it's any consolation, you're way better looking than that tramp anyway' Sawyer stated, talking about the girl that Aaron had cheated with.  
'She's got a flat ass and no tits' she added, causing Grace to laugh.

Emily and Alison had had a great night with Hanna, Aria and Spencer. The five women had spent the night drinking and dancing like they were 21 again, but right now, all Emily wanted was to go home and snuggle up in bed with her wife. With Hanna and Aria in tow to pick up their daughters, they made their way back to the house.  
'God, my feet hurt' Hanna complained as they got out of the taxi outside of Emily and Alison's house.  
'Well, maybe that's because you're wearing shoes that only strippers should be seen in' Alison quipped.  
'Excuse me, Ali, but these are Loboutins!' Hanna gasped in offense.  
'They're still ridiculous' Alison replied as she headed up the pathway, with Emily and Aria hiding their giggles. The four women drunkenly stumbled to the front door, while Emily struggled to put the keys in the door. It took a long thirty seconds, but she finally did it with a cheer from Hanna once the door was open. The four women stumbled into the house, Alison shushing a drunk and giggly Aria. They entered the living room, Emily flicking on the light, and all four women gasped as the room lit up to show Ava and Lily heavily making out on the couch, both undressed from the waist up.  
'Fuck!' Lily screamed in shock as both girls scrambled to cover themselves.  
'So, that's how lesbian babies are made' Hanna quipped as she peered over the shoulders of a shocked Emily and Alison, who were definitely not mentally prepared for another pep-talk with another one of their children.


	17. Every Breath You Take - Part I

**Ok, my forever patient readers, here it is. The monster.  
** **If you follow me on Tumblr, you'll already be aware that I've mentioned this chapter was going to be a long one. Well, I think long was an understatement, because this bad boy ended up being 20,000 words long (and that was with cutting some bits out!) So, since it was such a giant of a chapter, I made the executive decision to cut it into 2 parts, simply because I have personally read some long chapters in fics, of around 15,000 and it's tough reading all of that in 1 go, no matter how good the fic is. Breaking it into 2 smaller chunks seems easier mentally and a lot less daunting! So, I'm not going to waste your precious time with this A/N, there's enough reading for you to do.**

Catch you at the end

Enjoy ;)

* * *

 _'Wow, Aaron sucks' Sawyer pouted, as Grace finished talking about how she had come to find out that Aaron had cheated on her with Katie Bolero, an 11_ _th_ _Grade cheerleader. She was blonde haired, blue eyed and pale skinned, and Grace had never hated another girl more than she hated that bitch for jumping into bed with her boyfriend._  
 _'Yeah, and besides. Katie Bolero has like, no boobs' Lily stated factually, as she stuffed a handful of popcorn into her mouth._  
 _'Yeah, and you have great boobs!' Ava added with a smile, earning a stare from Lily. 'What? I'm just saying! Besides, you're twins, so it's ok for me to notice these things' she tried, knowing that she was digging herself into a deeper hole._  
 _'Uh, I'm pretty sure it's never ok, Ava' Sawyer giggled, leaning her head against Grace's shoulder as the two of them leaned into the headboard of the bed, while Lily and Ava sat at the end of the bed, their legs crossed Indian style._

 _'Hey, I don't mind. You can hit on me if you want, boo' Grace flirted playfully, giggling when Lily narrowed her eyes, trying to keep a serious face, though the corners of her mouth began to curve upwards into the tiniest hint of a smile._  
 _'You guys all suck' Lily chuckled through a playful pout, causing Ava to laugh, before leaning in to kiss it away._  
 _'I'm sorry babe, you know you're the only one for me' she mumbled against Lily's lips, causing Sawyer and Grace to roll their eyes._  
 _'Uh, get a room' Sawyer groaned, tossing a pillow at the two girls._  
 _'Not a bad idea' Lily chuckled, as she eyed Ava up and down, before jumping off of the bed and pulling the blonde with her._  
 _'Seriously? You two were more fun when you weren't licking each other's tonsils' Grace moaned, as the two teenagers giggled their way out of the room, Lily screaming playfully when Ava pinched her ass._  
 _'So, just you and me again, babe. What do you want to do? You can lick my tonsils if you like?' Sawyer chuckled playfully, causing Grace to toss a kernel of popcorn at her._  
 _'You're gross' she chuckled in response._

 _Lily and Ava ran down the stairs, Ava screaming playfully as Lily ticked her._  
 _'Stop, stop, I'm gonna pee' the blonde laughed through heavy breaths, squirming away from Lily's hands, that were relentlessly tickling at her ribs. Lily stopped her fingers from moving for a split second, giving Ava a second to breathe, before attacking her again, causing the blonde to squeal and lose her footing. Ava landed on the couch with a thump, pulling Lily with her as she gripped onto the brunette for support. Lily spat out a loud, heartful cackle as she landed on top of the other girl, who was still trying to catch her breath from the onslaught of tickles that Lily had given her. With Lily still giggling away on top of her, Ava found herself falling more impossibly in love with the brunette. She wrapped her hand around the back of Lily's neck and pulled her in for a soft, loving kiss, instantly quieting the laughter that had been leaving her mouth beforehand. Grace felt herself melt into the kiss, her lips instantly reacting to Ava's in a way that they had done so many times before over the past 6 months. The kisses quickly became heated, and Ava moaned into Lily's mouth as she felt the other girl's tongue against her own._

 _Lily's hands were now holding her at the ribs, her thumb resting against the lower part of her breast, while Ava's hands were tangled in dark hair, gripping tightly with every stroke of Lily's tongue. She gasped as she felt Lily's hands trail down her sides, before slipping into the back of her jeans and grabbing at her ass roughly. They had made out plenty of times, and each time they seemed to get more and more daring with each other, but this felt different, and Ava wondered if this time might be_ the _time. A part of her wanted to stop it, but the other part wanted this to go all the way because she loved Lily. She felt the other girl's hands come back up her body, sliding her loose fitting white t-shirt up as her hands ran across the soft skin of her stomach. Lily pulled back, looking deep into Ava's bright blue eyes, silently asking if this was ok, and she felt overwhelmed with how beautiful the other girl looked right now. Her blue eyes were filled with lust and want, and her lips were swollen and reddened from the kissing, and Lily wanted all of her._

 _Ava's hands loosened their grip on Lily's hair, sliding gingerly down her head and cupping her cheeks softly, as her chest raised heavily while she tried to regulate her breathing._  
 _'Are you ok?' Lily asked, her own breathing matching Ava's. The blonde nodded her head in response, because she was more than ok right now. Lily watched as Ava's hands left her cheeks and ran delicately down her neck, onto her shoulders and down the her arms, before meeting her hands. Looking Lily in the eye, she moved her girlfriend's hands and made her grip onto the hem of her t-shirt, pulling it slowly up her body. She sat up to allow the material to be removed completely, the two girls eyes locked on each other's._  
 _'Ava, are you sure you're ready for this?' Lily asked the younger girl, because she was very aware of the fact that while Ava acted older than her age, she was still only Fifteen years old, and Lily wasn't about to rush her into anything she wasn't ready for._

 _'Yeah' Ava breathed simply, the tip of her tongue darting out to lick her bottom lip, before she tugged the lip between her teeth anxiously._  
 _'Ok' Lily replied, nodding her head slightly as she plucked up the courage to make the next move. With their eyes still locked on one another's, and their hot breath lingering in the air between them, Lily sat herself upright and began to unbutton her shirt, revealing a plain black t-shirt bra. Ava watched, mesmerised by the other girl, as more skin became revealed and Lily shrugged the shirt off of her shoulders, tossing it to the ground. As she looked into Ava's eyes, she could see the hesitation and anxiousness sitting there, mixed with warmth and lust and want, and she briefly wondered whether her girlfriend was feeling pressured into this._  
 _'Ave-'_  
 _Ava shut her off with a firm kiss, sitting up as she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and pulled her in close._

 _'It's ok. I want this' Ava whispered against her lips, her hand resting ever so softly against Lily's tanned cheek._  
 _'You're sure?' Lily asked, needing that final confirmation from the blonde, who smiled timidly at the question._  
 _'I've never been more sure of anything in my life' she replied with a wide smile that met her eyes._  
 _'If at any point you want to stop, we can stop' Lily stated, feeling the need to take control of this, as though Ava was the only one who was about to lose her virginity, but she was feeling the nerves too, because the last six months had been building up to this moment, and she wanted it to be perfect for the both of them. Ava rolled her eyes and pulled Lily into the softest of kisses, her hands reaching around Lily's back to smoothly unhook her bra, because she didn't want to wait anymore. She wanted to know what it felt like to have Lily's skin on her own, and feel the other girl's heartbeat race as they explored each other's bodies. She wanted to know every inch of the other girl's body, and she wasn't prepared to wait another minute. Lily felt her bra come undone and began sliding the item down her arms without breaking the deep, sensual lip lock that she was currently in with Ava, who was now in the process of removing her own bra, leaving them both topless. One the items were removed and tossed aside, Ava pressed their bodies together, moaning softly when she felt Lily's breasts against her own. She leaned her weight onto Lily's body, pushing the girl back into the couch, as the brunette held Ava tightly in order to keep her from falling too hard, the two of them tumbling into the cushions together._

All four women gasped as Emily's flicked on the light, to reveal a semi-naked Lily and Ava making out on the couch. Both girls, naked from the waist up, jumped apart, grabbing at cushions to cover themselves as they turned to face the adults that had just interrupted their impromptu make out session.  
'Fuck!' Lily yelped as she sprung across the sofa, her cheeks reddening at having being caught, while Ava remained silent, her eyes wide in shock.  
'So, that's how lesbian babies are made' Hanna drunkenly quipped, leaning on the shoulders of Alison and Emily, while the women glared at the two teenagers in front of them.  
'Uh, girls. Why don't you get yourselves dressed and we'll meet you in the kitchen' Aria suggested after an intense, prolonged silence fell between the group. The shorter brunette looked between the two teenagers, to Emily and Alison, who were still very much in a state of shock, and a stupidly grinning Hanna, who was clearly too drunk to process the situation clearly. When no-one replied, she gingerly directed the three women into the direction of the kitchen, wanting to give the two teenagers a second to compose themselves before they got a grilling from Emily and Alison.

'Guys, before you get mad at them-' Aria started as they entered the kitchen, wanting to calm the two women in front of her before they tore into Lily and Ava.  
'I'm not mad' Alison interrupted with a small chuckle.  
'Me either' Emily agreed. 'I just wasn't expecting to walk into _that_ ' she explained, pointing to the living room, where Lily and Ava were now awkwardly avoiding eye contact while they re-dressed themselves.  
'I think it's hilarious' Hanna piped up from the table, where she was now leaning heavily on her hand. 'I wouldn't go that far' Alison replied, glaring at Hanna's lack of concern for the fact that they just caught their daughter's practically having sex on the couch.  
'What's the big deal? It's not like they can get pregnant' Hanna argued, her eyes drooping heavily as she tried to combat the effects of the alcohol she had consumed throughout the evening.  
'So not the point, Hanna' Emily replied, rolling her eyes at the blonde.

'How mad do you think they're going to be' Ava asked softly, as she anxiously pulled her t-shirt back over her head. She glanced up at Lily, who was turned away from her as she struggled to clasp her bra with shaky hands. Ava sighed and made her way across the room, gently swatting Lily's hands away before attaching the clasps together and placing the ghost of a kiss against her shoulder.  
'I don't know' Lily replied, as her stomach knotted anxiously at the thought of her Moms being pissed at her. Ava moved away from Lily once her bra was clasped and handed the brunette her shirt with a small smile, which Lily didn't return. Her brow furrowed in confusion, because though she knew that they were probably about to get into a whole load of trouble, she couldn't help but feel happy that they had taken that step tonight. Sure, they had gotten interrupted before any of the real fun started, but it was the closest they had gotten to that point, and Ava was more than ready to take that step with Lily, despite how nervous she had been feeling beforehand.

'Lils, you don't regret what happened tonight, do you?' She asked unsurely as she wrung her hands anxiously in front of her. She couldn't help but feel that maybe Lily was regretting taking things that little bit further, and in turn whether she was regretting their whole relationship all together.  
'What? No!' Lily replied instantly, her eyes widening as she pulled her shirt on, leaving it hung open as she closed the gap between them. Her hand came up to cup Ava's cheek and she held the other girl in place to look her in the eye.  
'I mean, I'm not happy we got caught. But I enjoyed tonight' she said with a firmness that screamed at Ava to believe that she could never regret her. 'I love you, and I could never regret anything I do with you' she added with a softness that made Ava want to melt.  
'I love you too' she replied with a wide smile, before she leaned in to place a chaste, warm kiss on Lily's lips.  
'Let's go get our punishment' Lily sighed as she pulled back, taking Ava's hand in her own.  
'Uh, I think you need to button up first' Ava giggled, taking her hand back to help Lily button up her blue plaid shirt.

Emily and Alison leaned against the counter, nursing mugs of coffee, while Aria sat at the table with her own. Hanna on the other hand had passed out across the table and was now snoring softly, much to the amusement of the other women in the room.  
'She's such a disaster' Emily chuckled as she looked at the blonde woman, who's mouth was wide open as she slept.  
'You'd think after all the years of drinking, she'd have learned to limit herself by now' Alison replied with an eye roll, straightening up when she saw Lily and Ava slowly enter the kitchen.  
'Mom, before you start. We're really sorry that you caught us doing that' Lily said, gripping Ava's hand for support as they lingered in the doorway of the kitchen. Aria hid her smirk at the teenager's choice of words.  
'Well, I'd rather you be sorry for doing it, but I appreciate the apology none the less' Alison replied with a small chuckle.

'Wait, you're not mad?' Ava asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. Emily pressed her tongue against her cheek as she tried to hide a smile, before speaking up.  
'No, we're not mad' she confirmed. 'We get it, ok. You're teenagers, you're in love and I'm guessing you just got carried away. I just wish that you'd not get carried away somewhere so...public' she stated.  
'We're not saying that we're encouraging you to jump into bed together, though' Alison added, wanting to make it clear that she was not, under any circumstances condoning her teenage daughter to have sex.  
'All we're saying is that you need to be responsible. If you think you're mature enough to take this step in your relationship, then you need to be mature enough to think of the consequences to your actions. I mean, what if it wasn't us that walked in? What if it was Jude?' Emily added, though a part of her wished that it hadn't been her that had walked in, because seeing her daughter get her mack on was not something that she was going to be able to erase from her mind for a very long time.  
'I'm sorry. It wont happen again' Lily replied, her head hanging low, understanding fully what her Moms were saying.  
'Good' Emily replied simply. 'Well, I think we've all been embarrassed enough for one night. It's late, we should all get some sleep' she added with a smile.

'Uh, what are we going to do with her?' Aria asked as she tilted her head in Hanna's direction, who was now drooling on the table.  
'Oh my god' Ava mumbled in embarrassment as she spotted her Mom passed out on the table, while Lily let out a shocked laugh.  
'Well, it's too late to call Caleb to come get her, and no taxi will take her' Alison replied with a tired sigh. 'I guess we could stick her on the couch for the night' she added, looking to Emily for approval, though it wouldn't be the first time they had had a drunk Hanna on their couch for the night. Emily let out a groan, knowing that it meant that she'd have to haul the blonde's ass up off the table, before placing her coffee on the counter and walking over Hanna. She sat the other woman upright, before hooking one arm beneath her knees and the other around her back, holding her bridal style, and hoisting her off of the chair with ease. Hanna mumbled as she was lifted into the air, before hooking her arms around Emily's neck and snuggling into her.  
'Take me to bed, babe' she mumbled, before letting out a loud snore, causing Alison, Aria and Lily to laugh, while Ava groaned at her Mom's behaviour. Emily rolled her eyes, before carrying Hanna to the living room and gently plopping her down onto the couch. She pulled off Hanna's shoes and covered her with a blanket, chuckling when the blonde hummed as she snuggled down into the cushion beneath her.

'So, I guess this means you're staying' Lily said softly to Ava as she turned to face the blonde with a cheeky smile. 'Shall we go get ready for bed?' She asked, a hint of suggestion lingering in her voice, which was picked up on by Alison.  
'Uh, hold it' she interrupted, her eyebrow raised as she smirked in amusement. 'You don't seriously think I'm going to let you two share a bed after what we walked in on tonight, do you?' She asked as she let out a breathy chuckle, while Lily and Ava's mouths opened and closed slightly as they tried to find a response.  
'Oh no, Ava you can bunk with Grace tonight' Emily stated as she entered the kitchen again, catching the tail end of the conversation.  
'But, you said-' Lily tried to argue, only to be cut off by Alison.  
'I said I wasn't going to be encouraging you to jump in to bed together' she reminded the two teenagers. 'If you want Ava to stay over, then she stays in Grace's room, end of story'  
'We're trusting you girls' Emily added as she settled back beside Alison. 'I'll be seriously pissed off if you go against us' she stated firmly, letting the girls know that she meant what she was saying. Lily groaned, while Ava chuckled, before they turned and headed up the stairs. Alison briefly caught Lily muttering a 'this sucks', before the girls were gone.  
'Well, Ladies. It's been a pleasure, but I think I'm going to grab Sawyer and go' Aria said with a smirk. 'That's if I don't find her in a compromising position with your other daughter. In which case, I think I'll leave you to deal with it. You seem to have the practice in' she added with a giggle, causing Alison too roll her eyes and Emily to bite back a smirk.

As Aria exited the kitchen, followed by Lily and Ava, Emily turned to Alison with a raised eyebrow.  
'So...do we really trust them to be under the same roof for the night without anything happening?' She asked Alison sceptically, closing the distance and placing her hands lightly on the other woman's hips, while Emily clasped her hands together at the back of Alison's neck, her forearms resting lightly on the other woman's shoulders.  
'I don't know, but we have no choice but to trust them' Alison replied, brushing a strand of hair out of Emily's face.  
'Trust them? Ali, they're horny teenagers. I wouldn't trust them if they told me the Pope was Catholic' she replied seriously, her eyes narrowing when Alison chuckled at her.  
'They're good kids, Em' she tried to reason with an amused smile, because she was growing used to these small break downs of her Wife's, who seemed to be struggling to deal with their daughter's maturing into adulthood.  
'I was a good kid, Ali. I was also a horny teenager-'  
'Oh I remember' Alison cut her off with a smirk, her eyebrow quirking upwards suggestively, causing Emily to blush and look away with a small smirk of her own as she remembered the few times during her teenage years that she and Alison allowed themselves to indulge in each other.

 _She had been staring at the ceiling for what felt like forever, Alison's words from earlier in the evening playing through her mind on a loop. It was the words that she had been wanting to hear from the blonde for years, the sign she had prayed for to tell her that it wasn't all in her head, that those kisses actually meant something. But Emily had spent years thinking that she had been used by Alison, thinking that the blonde didn't care for her the way she wanted her to, and now she was just outright confused because the other girl hadn't so much as mentioned anything since she got back. Instead, they had gotten into bed, and Alison had turned her back to her, leaving Emily alone with her thoughts. She couldn't sleep with the other girl so close to her, hearing the softness of her breathing coming from inches away. Emily wanted to roll into her and hold her, pull her in close and tell her that those small, fleeting moments from way back when had meant everything to her. She wanted to tell Alison how she felt and be honest with her._

 _'Ali? Are you asleep?' She whispered into the dark room, her heart racing with anticipation. Part of her wished the blonde was sleeping, maybe then it would be easier to say the words she needed to say without looking into those blue eyes that seemed to suck her in. It felt like she waited for hours with no response, no movement, just silence. Emily turned her head to look over to the back of the other girl's head, assuming this meant that Alison was in fact asleep, and so she tried to pluck up the courage to say the words that had been running around her head for hours. All the questions she wanted to ask, but would never get the answers to. She wanted to spill her heart to Alison, tell her how the other girl had made her feel. She turned her head to look back at the ceiling, trying to get the words to come out, when she felt the movement beside her. She turned back to see Alison rolling over to face her, her own body twisting in the bed to mirror the blonde's movements, and the second she caught sight of those ocean blue orbs, all words were gone. Alison's head was on her pillow now, impossibly close, and Emily couldn't think through the thick atmosphere that had quickly appeared. She lay there looking into the eyes of the girl who held her heart, which was now thumping in her chest like a jackhammer, and she was surprised to see that Alison looked open and sincere, and Emily hadn't seen her like that in a long time. It was the Alison that had always been reserved just for her, the side that nobody else ever got to see, and suddenly Emily felt like she was catapulted back to a time before the blonde went missing._

 _She found herself leaning in, and was pleasantly surprised to find that Alison was moving to meet her, their lips coming together like old friends, and Emily felt Alison let out a heavy breath as she leaned into the kiss. With the fear of rejection gone from her mind, she pulled the covers back, pulling back slightly to look into Alison's eyes, just for one last check that this was ok. When she saw the want and need reflected back at her, her hand came up to cup Alison's head as she pulled her in for another, hungry kiss, and Alison's hand came to rest on her side, holding her in place as their lips moved rhythmically together. She felt goosepimples rise on her skin as the other girl's hand brushed against the bare skin of her back, and arousal shoot between her legs as she continued to kiss Alison, each kiss growing deeper and hungrier than the last, the power of the other girl's kisses pushing them into an upright position. Her heart pounded against her ribcage, as Alison gently guided her onto her back, before settling over her, and Emily was putty in her hands. She moaned into the kiss, as Alison finally deepened the kiss, the tip of her tongue flicking against Emily's lips as though asking for permission, which the brunette granted instantly. Alison's hand trailed along her side, slipping under her tank top in search of more skin, causing Emily's hands to tighten in blonde hair. Alison whimpered softly into Emily's mouth, causing the brunette to grow more turned on at the sound._

 _A surge of sexual energy rushed through her, causing Emily to suddenly gain a confidence that she had never had with Alison before. Gripping Alison by the shoulders, she pushed the blonde back onto the other side of the bed, their lips still latched together as she settled on top of the other girl. Alison's fingers dug into Emily's hip, her other hand coming up to tangle in dark hair, pulling her into the deep kiss. Alison let out a deep moan as Emily's tongue ran over her own, while the brunette's hand teased at the hem of her shorts.  
_ _'Em' she breathed, parting their lips barely an inch, and Emily felt her heart drop as she waited for the words she had expected when she first made the move and kissed Alison.  
_ _'Please, Ali' Emily whispered, looking deep into the other girl's eyes. Alison let out a heavy breath as she debated internally, fighting herself from putting this to a stop. She knew that she wanted this, she wanted Emily, but she wasn't sure that Emily wanted her back, not right now anyway. She had poured her heart out and finally told Emily the truth, and the brunette had walked away, and for the first time, Alison felt at least a little of the pain that she had caused the other girl over the years. She wanted to protect her heart from hurting and she wanted to know if Emily was doing this because she felt the same way, but the brunette was looking at her with lustful eyes and like she was the only girl that mattered. Alison couldn't bring herself to deny Emily, or herself, this moment, whatever it might mean._

 _Alison's eyes flicked from Emily's eyes to her lips, before the brunette felt herself being pushed backwards onto the other side of the bed again. Her face dropped at the thought of Alison pushing her away, but her eyes widened quickly when Alison followed her, straddling her legs while remaining upright. Their eyes locked for a long moment, before the blonde gripped the bottom of her top and pulled it up over her head, leaving her in shorts and a bra. Emily sat up as she let out a short, heavy breath at the unexpected action. She reached her hands out, resting them on Alison's waist as she looked the girl up and down. She had spent a long time wondering what this would be like, and it felt almost surreal to Emily that she was finally in this position._  
 _'You're sure about this?' She asked softly, needing confirmation before they dove into whatever they were about to delve into. Alison smiled, reaching her hands behind her back as she raised an eyebrow._  
 _'Would I do this, if I wasn't?' She replied with a smirk, as she pulled her bra off and tossed it to the side, chuckling when Emily's eyes grew impossibly wide._  
 _'Come here' she husked, before pulling Alison into her so that the blonde was now sitting in her lap. Her hand tangled into long, blonde locks as she pulled Alison into a searing kiss._

Aria headed up the stairs and along the hall, rounding down the hall to Grace's room. With a soft knock on the ajar door, Aria peered her head round into the dark room. The light from the hall left a dim light into the bedroom to show Grace and Sawyer sleeping on the bed. Aria smiled at the sight of Grace cuddled into Sawyer's protective arm, and she remembered all the times she and the other women had shared beds throughout their childhoods and teenage years, especially during times of crisis. It made her happy that all these years on, their daughters were following in their footsteps, developing lifelong friendships together. Aria pulled out her phone and snapped a quick picture, wanting a visual memory of this moment, before she entered the room and made her way over to Sawyer's side of the bed.

'Soy? Wake up, sweetie' she whispered as she leaned over her daughter and shook her gently, trying not to wake the sleeping brunette beside her.  
'Huh? Mom?' Sawyer mumbled sleepily as she tilted her head upwards and looked around, blinking her eyes to clear her vision.  
'Yeah, it's me' Aria whispered, reaching up to squeeze Sawyer's arm gently. 'Come on, it's time to go home' she added, giving her daughter a tight-lipped smile. Sawyer looked down at Grace, who was still cuddled into her side and sleeping soundly, before looking back at her Mom.  
'No, I think I'm going to stay here tonight' she replied groggily. 'Grace needs me'  
'Grace will be fine, honey. Besides, Ava's bunking with her tonight, so she won't be alone' Aria assured the teenager, who was looking at Grace apprehensively.  
'Ok, I guess I can come back tomorrow' Sawyer sighed, giving Grace one last look before carefully shrugging out from the brunette's hold and slinking out of the bed.

Lily and Ava headed up the stairs, the blonde trailing after the brunette as they trudged up the stairs, suddenly overcome with tiredness. They reached the top of the stairs and headed down the hall, stopping when they reached Lily's bedroom.  
'Uh, do you want something to change into?' Lily asked as she turned to face her girlfriend.  
'Yeah, that'd be great' Ava replied with a smile, before heading into Lily's bedroom to raid her closet. Lily chuckled at the blonde's actions, loving how comfortable Ava was in her own home, though the other girl had practically grown up there. Lily stopped beside Ava, pulling out a pair of shorts and a tank top for her girlfriend to sleep in, before grabbing a pair for herself. The two girls stripped off and changed into their respective sleepwear silently, catching subtle glimpses of each other along the way, and Lily wished that Ava didn't have to sleep in the next room.  
'I think you should sneak back in here once my Moms are in bed' she whispered, taking Ava's hands into her own and letting them hang loosely between them.  
'And I think that is a terrible idea' Ava chuckled, causing the brunette to pout sadly. 'I'll only be in the next room, and I will see you in the morning' she added, leaning in to place a soft peck on Lily's lips.

'Knock knock' Emily said as she knocked on the door and entered Lily's room. 'I hope you're not already trying to break the rules?' She asked with a cocked eyebrow and a smirk, causing Lily to roll her eyes and drop Ava's hands as she turned to face her Mom.  
'No' she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest like a sulking toddler.  
'We were just getting changed and I was saying goodnight' Ava added with a smile and a shrug of the shoulders.  
'Ok, well we're heading to bed. I just wanted to remind you of what we said to you girls tonight' Emily stated with a soft firmness.  
'Mom, I don't get it. Ava has always stayed in my room before, why is now any different?' Lily asked with a sulking tone.  
'Yeah, well that was before you were a couple and before we caught you both half naked on the couch' Emily replied. 'I'm sorry girls, but you want sleepovers, this is how it has to be. Now, goodnight' She added, before leaving the room. She exited the room, listening as Alison saw out Aria and Sawyer downstairs, before heading to Jude's room, peering around his door quietly to see that her son was still sleeping, before heading to the room she and Alison shared.

Emily groaned as she rolled her shoulders, feeling them grind and crack as she tried to loosen herself up. She smiled when she felt two hands rubbing against them, thumbs massaging deeply into the tissue.  
'Feeling tense, babe?' Alison asked, before placing a soft kiss against Emily's neck, causing the brunette to close her eyes at the contact.  
'Yeah, just...it's been a long day' she hummed, letting out a deep breath as she relaxed into Alison's touch.  
'I know. But, tomorrow is another day' the blonde said softly, before removing her hands and rounding Emily so she was facing her wife.  
'For now though, I would very much like to forget about the kids for a while, crawl into bed and cuddle up with the love of my life' she added, causing Emily to smile, before leaning down and placing a soft kiss to Alison's lips, before leading her to their bed.

Silence and darkness had settled over the DiLaurentis-Fields house, the only sounds being the subtle sound of Hanna's drunken snores from the couch downstairs. Alison and Emily were cuddled up, with the blonde being the little spoon. Lily was hugging her pillow, while Jude was sprawled across his own bed like a starfish. Grace and Ava were lying in the brunette's bed, sleeping back to back peacefully. That was, until Grace heard something, or someone, moving about the house. Her eyes flickered open and she blinked into the darkness with a groan, jumping when she spotted a shadow walking out of her bedroom door. She looked down beside her to see Ava sleeping soundly. She wasn't entirely sure when, or how, the blonde had gotten there, but she was glad to see the other girl because she was sure she saw someone in her room a second ago.

'Ava' she whispered, shaking the other girl, who groaned in response.  
'Ava. Wake up!' Grace shook her harder, glancing at the door to see that there was no-one there.  
'What the hell is your problem!?' Ava moaned as she turned over, finally opening her eyes to look at her friend.  
'Someone was in here' the brunette hushed, causing the blonde to sit up.  
'What? It was probably just Lily' she replied sleepily, scratching at her head as she yawned.  
Grace sighed, flicking on the bedside lamp to see that her room was in fact empty, the bedroom door open and the light filtering out into the hall.  
'See, no-one here. Now can you stop freaking out and go to sleep?' Ava mumbled, looking at Grace as though she was going crazy, before lying back down and pulling the duvet back up over her.

'No, someone was in here' Grace mumbled, her heart racing at the thought. 'I heard them walking in here' she continued, her eyes narrowing as she looked around the room, that suddenly felt unsafe.  
'Grace, it was probably just a bad dream. Go to sleep' Ava moaned, but Grace continued to look around her room, looking for some sort of sign, before her eyes settle on the mirror above her dresser, that now had a tiny pink post-it stuck in the centre. With her heart in her throat, Grace jumped out of bed and practically ran to the dresser, pulling the note from the mirror.  
'What is wrong with you? Have you had a freaking aneurysm or something?' Ava asked in a pissy tone as she sat back up and threw the covers off. She looked over to see the brunette staring wide eyes at the small piece of paper.  
'What is that?' She asked curiously, before getting out of the bed and heading over to Grace, taking the piece of paper from her hands. She looked at the paper and read the capitalised message that had been written in bright red marker.

 _It's game time, Bitches. Let's have some fun! - ADF_

The two girls stared at the piece of paper, before looking up to each other, their eyes wide. The silence was deafening, their hearts pounding in their ears as they began to grow freaked out, remaining frozen in their eye contact, before they were pulled away by the closing of the front door downstairs. Their eyes grew impossibly wider at the sound, and Grace felt like she wanted to cry.  
'Grace...what does this mean? Who is ADF?' Ava asked after a long silence, her voice shaking with fear as she spoke and her fingers clutching tightly at the post-it.  
'I don't know, but it can't be good' Grace breathed, her heart racing in her chest as her mind ran wild with the stories she had heard, about what their Moms had been through all those years ago.  
'Why? What does it mean?' Ava asked again impatiently, because Grace was making her more nervous with how she was acting. Ava watched as Grace paced the room, biting her thumb nail anxiously.

'Did your Mom ever tell you about what happened when they were at RHS?' She asked eventually, her words almost haunting as she thought about what this could mean, while she hoped she was over-reacting.  
'Yeah, but...you don't think...?'  
'I really hope not' Grace breathed as she perched herself on the edge of her bed, her hands gripping at the covers in an effort to stop her head from spinning, because right now Grace felt like she was about to pass out with the endless thoughts and questions that came into her head, and Ava was beginning to feel the same with everything that the other girl was saying.  
'No, this can't be possible' she mumbled, shaking her head softly, as though she were trying to shake the thoughts out.  
'Why not? It happened to them... _twice_! I mean, why not come after their daughters?' Grace said frantically, trying her best to keep her voice down.

'Ok, so...if this is what we think it is then we should tell our Moms, right?' Ava asked cautiously. 'I mean, they've been through this. They'll know how to handle it' she added, taking a step towards the door as though she were about to go wake the whole house and tell them what was going on.  
'No! No, we can't tell them' Grace argued in a hushed tone, causing Ava to stop in her tracks and spin on the spot to face the brunette on the bed.  
And, why the hell not?' She asked with an aggressive edge to her voice, because Grace was scaring the hell out of her and she wanted to tell her Mom so that she could feel safe again.  
'Because, Ava. My Mom still triple checks the locks before going to bed every night, and their nightmare has been over for 16 years. I'm not about to bring it back for them again' Grace replied in frustration, pulling out her now half-fallen out bun and running her fingers anxiously through her hair.  
'Well, maybe she should start checking the doors a fourth time, because clearly she's not doing a very good job' Ava snapped as she made wild hand gestures, causing Grace to glare at her dangerously, telling the blonde that it was best for her to stop talking.

'Look, let's just try to forget about this for tonight' Grace finally sighed, not wanting to get into a screaming match with her friend in the middle of the night, mostly because she didn't want to wake the whole house and their voices were growing louder with every word.  
'Grace, my Mom's downstairs...' Ava whispered, her tone edged with fear as she realised that her Mom could have been in possible danger with someone roaming around the house in the middle of the night.  
'Oh no, I am no going down there, Ava' Grace protested, holding her hands in the air to make her point.  
'Please? I need to make sure she's ok...' The blonde practically begged, causing Grace to groan, because she knew that had the shoe been on the other foot, she'd be wanting to check on her Moms too.  
'Fine' she breathed, her eyes closing for a second before she pushed herself up off of the bed and made her way out of the room with Ava trailing closely behind her.

They slowly made their way down the dark hall, their hearts pounding loudly with every step they took. Ava reached out and gripped Grace's hand firmly, the younger girl wanting to feel safe, which she was feeling the furthest thing from in that moment. Grace paused at Jude's door, before slowly pushing it open and grabbing the baseball bat that sat leaning against the wall just inside of his room, earning a questioning look from Ava.  
'For protection' Grace whispered as she pulled the blonde further along the hall and down the stairs. Ava's foot hit the creaky step, causing both girls to jump, and Grace to glare at the blonde.  
'Sorry' Ava mouthed, grimacing at Grace, before they continued, both girls peering through the darkness in search of any sign of movement. They finally reached the bottom of the stairs and made their way across the hall to the entrance to the living room. A loud snore rippled through the darkness, causing Ava to let out a surprised yelp and Grace to glare at her yet again.

'Seriously!?' She whispered incredulously.  
'I'm sorry, I'm scared!' Ava replied defensively in a hushed tone. Grace rolled her eyes and looked across to the couch, seeing that Hanna was in fact safe and sound, snuggled face down into the couch cushion.  
'She's fine. Let's go back to bed' Grace whispered, leading back out of the living room and back to her room. With the knowledge that there was nobody in the house anymore and everyone was seemingly safe, Grace and Ava climbed back into bed, with the baseball bat beside them for protection. Neither girl slept anymore that night, both far to freaked out by the turn of events, but they definitely felt safer being in the bed together.

'God, my head hurts' Hanna moaned, her head in her hands as she slumped over the kitchen table. The blonde had woken, dazed and confused, and extremely hungover, on Emily and Alison's couch a little over twenty minutes ago, and her head hadn't stopped pounding since.  
'That's what happens when you drink a bottle and a half of wine' Emily replied unsympathetically as she placed a mug of steaming coffee in front of the blonde, who took it appreciatively.  
'Thanks' Hanna mumbled, pouting her lips in an effort to get some kind of sympathy from someone in the house. 'I don't even remember getting here last night' she stated, her forehead scrunched as she tried to remember anything, but the night was pretty much a blur.  
'That's probably for the best' Alison mumbled, causing the Emily to giggle and Hanna to shoot her a questioning look. Before she could question Alison any further though, Ava and Grace entered the kitchen, looking rather dishevelled and sleep deprived.

'Good Morning girls' Emily greeted them with a smile, which was met with half-assed attempts to return it. 'Morning' Ava mumbled, while Grace remained silent, heading straight to the coffee maker to pour herself and Ava a cup each, she figured they would both need it today.  
'Do you girls want breakfast?' Alison asked, turning from the stove, where she was frying bacon and eggs.  
'Nope' Grace replied simply.  
'No, I'm good thank you' Ava replied, now situated in a seat beside her Mom, who she was side-eyeing disapprovingly. 'Thanks, Grace' she mumbled when a cup of coffee was placed down in front of her and the brunette slid into the seat beside her.  
'What did you girls get up to last night? Why do you look so tired?' Emily asked, eyeing them suspiciously as she wondered whether Ava had snuck back into Lily's room after everyone had gone to bed.  
'Nothing! Nothing, we uh, just talked' Grace replied nervously, eyeing Ava before lifting her mug to her lips and blowing the hot coffee to cool it. Emily wanted to question more, sensing that something was going on, but was interrupted by Jude and Lily.

'Morning' Lily greeted cheerfully, placing a kiss to the top of Ava's head as she passed her, while a groggy, Pyjama clad Jude entered silently and sat himself at the table as he blinked hard in an effort to wake himself up.  
'We have a smile! That's what I like to see' Emily half cheered as she took a plate of eggs, bacon and toast from Alison and placed it in front of Hanna, who held her hand over her mouth.  
'I think I'm going to barf' she groaned, looking at the plate of food in disgust.  
'I'll eat it' Jude shrugged, pulling the plate towards himself, earning a look of protest from Hanna and a chuckle from Emily and Alison.  
'Your children have zero manners' Hanna mumbled as she wrapped her hands back around her coffee cup and pouted.  
'And you have a problem learning when to stop drinking, but you don't hear us complaining' Emily replied as she handed Hanna another plate of food. The banter batted back and forth between Emily and Hanna, with Alison, Lily and Jude offering their input every now and again, while Grace and Ava remained silently staring into their coffee cups. Lily spent the entire breakfast period trying to catch her girlfriend's eye, only to be disappointed when the blonde didn't once look up at her. She began to wonder what was on Ava's mind, and wondered whether the blonde was regretting where they had almost ended up the night before.

'Momma? Can I go play soccer with Oscar and Harper today?' Jude asked hopefully as he placed his plate in the dishwasher. He knew that he was still grounded, but he hoped that his Moms would relent and let him spend the day with his friends.  
'I'm sorry, buddy but you know you're grounded' Emily replied sympathetically, because she didn't like to punish her son, but he needed to learn a lesson.  
'Oscar is grounded too, so he won't be playing any soccer for a while' Hanna chimed in, her coffee kicking in and her hangover becoming a little more manageable.  
'What are you girls up to today?' Alison asked the three teenagers, two of which had still yet to contribute to the breakfast chatter.  
'Uh, we're meeting Sawyer at The Brew. I think we're just going to hang out there for a while' Lily replied, eyeing Grace and Ava curiously, as both girls seemed on edge and had been eyeing each other nervously all morning. Something was going on, and Lily was determined to get to the bottom of it.

A little over an hour later, Lily, Grace and Ava were on their way to The Brew to meet up with Sawyer. Lily had tried aimlessly to get the girls to perk up, but her attempts had failed significantly, and she was growing more and more pissed off with her girlfriend and sister with every minute.  
'Ok, what the hell is going on?' She asked in frustration, rounding to stop in front of the girls as they walked along the sidewalk.  
'Nothing!' Ava squeaked, earning a dubious look from Lily and an eye roll from Grace. Lily looked at the two girls expectantly, causing Grace to sigh and pull a pink post-it from her pocket.  
'Did you leave this on my mirror last night?' She asked with an exhausted sigh. She had spent all night coming up with plausible explanations for the note, and this was the only one that seemed to fit. Lily furrowed her brow and took the note to look at it properly, reading the words twice just to make sure she hadn't missed anything.  
'No, why the hell would I put that on your mirror?' She asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked back up at the other two girls, and then back to the note. She knew why Grace was so worried, she had heard the stories as much as her sister had, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions. Still, if it wasn't any of them that wrote the note, then it was certainly alarming.

'I don't know, I just thought, or hoped rather, that it was you' Grace sighed, feeling her heart drop as her last chance of an explanation was shot down, and suddenly she didn't quite know what to do with herself.  
'Is this why you were weird with me this morning?' Lily asked, directing her question mostly to Ava, who she had spent all morning trying to get the attention of, and had been shut down time and time again.  
'Yeah, I'm sorry' the blonde replied apologetically, and Lily couldn't be mad when her girlfriend looked so drained and scared, and she wondered how she had misread those emotions beforehand. Lily let out a small sigh and pulled the younger girl in to a tight, long hug, before they separated.  
'And here I thought you were regretting what happened last night' Lily let out a sad chuckle, earning a questioning look from her sister.

'Wait, what happened last night?' Grace asked curiously, looking between both girls, who had subtle smirks on their faces. Ava, not wanting to give Grace anything more to tease them about than she already did, instantly decided that last night's events were not something that she wanted the other DiLaurentis-Fields girl to know about.  
'Your Moms caught Lily finger blasting an apple pie' Ava stated casually, coming up with the first, most ridiculous explanation she could think of, before strutting back down the street towards The Brew, leaving Lily open mouthed and Grace with a look of confusion.  
'Wait, is that some weird, lesbian euphemism?' She asked, her mind finally clicking on what she thought Ava was trying to say. A wicked grin crept upon her face, causing Lily to groan and roll her eyes, because she knew she was in for an onslaught of teasing.  
'Wow, shy on the street, sexy in the sheets, huh Lils?' Grace said with a smirk, before walking past Lily and heading in the direction that Ava had walked in a few seconds before.  
'You can't just steal mom's phrases like that, Grace' Lily yelled after her sister, before following.

Grace, Lily and Ava entered through the doors of The Brew, the smell of fresh coffee hitting their nostrils as they walked in. They instantly spotted Sawyer sitting in the far corner, flicking through one of the many books that were dotted around the coffee shop that was still owned by her parents. The teenager had grown up in this shop. She had taken her first steps behind the counter, learned to count with the money in the register and she had developed her love of coffee and classic literature at the tender age of 12. For years, she had occupied the side table by the window, overlooking the large, white gazebo that sat in the centre of a large green, every evening after school, where she completed her homework. It was her home away from home, and Sawyer loved it.  
'Hey guys' she greeted, looking up from her book with a wide smile.

'What you reading today, Soy?' Lily asked, peering down to see the cover of the book. 'Great Expectations? Nice' she nodded her head in approval as she plopped herself down into one of the squishy couches, followed by Ava. Lily wrapped her arm tenderly around her girlfriend, pulling the blonde in closer as they snuggled into the couch that had become 'their spot'. The four girls always sat in this far corner when they came here, which was something that had started with their Moms when they were all still babies. Over the years, the girls had begun to meet here alone, and as they got older, it became _their_ place to hang out.  
'I swear you've read that like, a thousand times' Ava questions, wondering why on earth anyone would read a book more than once, especially an old one.  
'So? It's a classic' Sawyer countered, causing Ava to scoff.  
'Well, I don't know why you'd want to read about some crazy old lady in a fourty year old wedding dress, but ok' Ava replied with an eye roll, causing Lily to chuckle.  
'It's not just about Miss Havisham. It's actually a really good story' the brunette replies.  
'Look, all I know is that they've all got some weird, fucked up names in that book, and the guy must have been on some serious drugs when he wrote that shit' Ava sighs, leaning back into Lily's arm, while she and Sawyer laughed at the younger girl, who had zero appreciation for any form of literature that wasn't printed in the form of a glossy magazine.

'Ok, Americano, no sugar for you, Soy' Grace announced as she carried over a take cup holder, with four take out coffee cups and handed one to Sawyer, who took it with a small 'thanks'  
'Cappuccino, three sugars for baby Aves' Grace teased as she handed the blonde her coffee, who rolled her eyes at the brunette and took the coffee silently.  
'Aaaand a Vanilla Latte for my secretly super sexy sis' she added. 'I asked for extra vanilla, I know you like that' Grace added with a wink as she handed Lily her coffee.  
'You're an ass' Lily shot as she snatched her coffee out of Grace's hand, who laughed as she placed herself down next to Sawyer, placing the cup holder on the table and nursing her own Cappuccino.  
'Ok, what the hell are you two on about?' Sawyer asked with questioning eyebrows, looking between Grace and Lily, who was beginning to blush furiously.

'Lily and Ava did the dirty last night' Grace stated casually. 'Lily finger banged Ava's Apple Pie' she added with a smirk, causing Sawyer's eyes to widen.  
'Wait, what!?'  
'That was _so_ not what I meant when I was talking about Apple Pies earlier!' Ava jumped in, shocked as she suddenly realised what her earlier statement had implied, and it was way worse than what she was actually trying to stop the other girls from finding out about.  
'It wasn't?' Grace asked in confusion, her smirk dropping from her face.  
'No, it wasn't' Lily mumbled through her hands, which her head was now resting in as she silently wished that the ground would swallow them whole.

'Ok, back the fuck up and start from the beginning' Sawyer said firmly, wanting to clarify what was going on with the girls, who were just outright confusing her. 'What happened when you guys left Grace's room last night?'  
'Nothing, we just made out a little' Lily replied with a shrug off the shoulders.  
'Topless' Ava added casually with a tilt of the head.  
'Ava!' Lily chastised, slapping the blonde on the arm.  
'What!? It's true!' Ava argued. 'You know, you and Grace are always on my back! Even last night, she was all, 'Ava, don't step on the creaky floorboard. Ava, why you so jumpy?' I'm jumpy because I'm freaking scared, Grace!' Ava rambled, her heart racing as she was reminded of last night and how terrified she had felt, and though for a brief moment she had let herself relax and enjoy herself, she was suddenly smacked in the face with the realisation that they had a potential target on their back.

'What is wrong with you?' Sawyer asked, looking at Ava as though she had officially lost her mind, while Lily and Grace looked on with a mixture of empathy and familiarity, because they couldn't shake the feeling that trouble was headed their way.  
'Sawyer, there's something we need to tell you' Lily started, knowing that they needed to tell the older girl what had happened last night, but before she could continue, four phones chimed in unison, causing the girls to look to each other before grabbing their phones from their respective bags and pockets.

' _My, my, how history repeats itself'_ Lily began to read the message, that had been sent from a blocked number.

' _I had fun with your Moms'_ Ava continued, her blood running cold as she read the message.

' _Now it's your turn'_ Sawyer read aloud with a questioning edge, though she too had heard the stories and knew what this could mean.

' _ADF'_ Grace finished, feeling like her chest was constricting as her theory was proved horrifically correct. The four girls sat in silence, staring at the group message they had just received, all too scared to say anything. 

* * *

**Ok, so we're at the end of Part I, and a lot has happened already!**

This chapter has been in the works since the very beginning, and I've gradually been plotting little bits here and there, because I knew that it was something that I wanted to delve into. If I'm being honest, if I knew that it would end up being so long (with the potential to be longer) I would have just turned it into a separate fic. However, I'm pretty pleased with how it has turned out!

The girls are being stalked by their own 'A'! What do we think about that? Who do you think it could be!? And how will the original PLLs react to this when they find out!?

 **Also, this chapter had 2 epic flashbacks, which I know you all seem to like :) I personally loved the Emison one, with the 5x05/7x02 scene extended. It was just the right amount of sweet before the chaos is about to start.**

Anyway, go read Part 2! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it :)

Lo

 **xx**


	18. Every Breathe You Take - Part II

**Here we are, Part II of this epic journey. Are you ready for the final countdown?**

 **Enjoy**

 **Lo**

 **XX**

* * *

'Ok, can someone explain what is going on?' Sawyer finally asked, though she was sure that she already knew. Grace sighed and pulled out the now crumpled post-it that was sitting in her back jeans pocket and handed it to Sawyer.

'Someone broke into my room last night and left that on my mirror' she explained, her voice strangely detached and emotionless. Lily and Ava watched as Sawyer read the note, looking at it for a second longer than necessary, before letting out a heavy breath and shaking her head almost violently, her tight, coffee coloured curls shaking vigorously with her movement.  
'No, uh-uh. I've read my Moms book, I've heard what it did to her. I'm not playing this game' she stated frantically as she screwed up the post-it and tossed it onto the table in front of her. The other three girls looked at her in shock, because Sawyer was usually so calm and composed and none of them had ever seen her so unhinged.  
'So, what do we do? How do we stop this?' Lily asked in response, needing the answer to the question that the other two girls were too afraid to ask, because really, none of them knew how to fight this invisible enemy. Their Moms had almost died time and time again at the hands of this nameless monster, and they were all sure that they were about to be put through the same trials and tribulations.

'We turn off our phones and throw them in the damn river, for all I care. If we can't see the messages, they can't hurt us' Sawyer replied with an edge of anger and frustration. She knew she should stay calm for the other three girls. She was the oldest, it was her job to keep the situation calm and protect the girls, who were like her sisters, at all costs, but she couldn't. She had read her Mom's book and she had also read the stories that had been too horrifying to publish, having found her Mom's old journals a few years ago. She had read about every damn box and hole the older women had been trapped in, every car that had sped towards them, every threatening message. She had read it all, and felt like she had lived it too. She had heard the way her Mom, even now, would sneak downstairs in the middle of the night because the nightmares were too much, and she refused to be a victim and live her life that way.

'Someone broke into my room, Sawyer! Tossing my phone won't stop that from happening again!' Grace argued, her voice rising through the fear she was feeling. She thought that, like always, Sawyer would make her feel better, but instead the older girl was terrifying her even more.  
'Yeah, and there's no way I can go around without a phone. I was blessed to not be born in a Third World Country, I'd like to keep it that way' Ava protested, as though the thought of not having a phone was worse than the threat they were facing. The other three girls looked at her with disbelief before Lily shook her head and opened her mouth to talk, leaning her elbows into her knees as she sat forwards in her seat.  
'Ok, I think for now, we just keep this to ourselves and hope that this is just some prankster who will go away' she suggested, because she really wasn't sure what else to suggest. She looked to the other girls, who all seemed to contemplate what she was saying, before muttering small 'ok's and nodding their heads, though they were all more than aware that this wasn't the end.

The girls tried to enjoy the rest of their weekend, but even with no more messages, the inevitable threat lingered over them, and they were already feeling the strain of trying to hide this from their Moms. Lily and Grace found themselves over thinking every question and statement their Moms threw at them, looking for an underlying meaning, or waiting for them to figure out what was happening with them. By Monday morning, both girls were ready to crack. Sleep deprived and still shaken to the core, they sat staring into their cereal bowls as their spoons aimlessly stirred through the milk, neither of them having the stomach to eat. Emily had noticed the change in their behaviour and was worried to say the least, but with Alison's words in her mind about being overbearing and giving the teenagers space, she kept her thoughts to herself.  
'Did you talk to your Mom today?' Alison asked as she handed Jude a bowl of cereal, rubbing her hand against the boy's head and lovingly ruffling his hair.  
'Yeah, she said that she's enjoying herself' Emily replied, her eyes trained on her daughters as she wondered for the thousandth time since Saturday Morning, what was bothering them.  
'That's good, she deserves to relax' Alison hummed. 'What time does her flight get in tomorrow?'

Lily and Grace let their Mom's conversation fade into the distance, both getting lost in their thoughts. They felt on edge, just waiting for the next message to come through. Their phones buzzed simultaneously on the table, causing both girls to flinch and stare at the offending objects, neither having the courage to read the message. After a moment's hesitation, Grace picked up her phone, relaxing when she saw it was just Sawyer. The action didn't go unmissed by Emily, who narrowed her eyes at the girls as she tried to continue listening to Alison talk.  
'It's Sawyer. She says she'll give us a ride this morning' Grace said emotionlessly, informing Lily that they had nothing to worry about.  
'Why is Sawyer driving you this morning?' Emily asked curiously, as she tried to put the pieces together that seemed so glaring obvious.  
'Uhm, because she has a car, and only losers carpool with their Moms' Grace replied breezily as she pushed herself away from the table, her chair scraping along the wooden flooring. 'Come on, she'll be here in a minute' she added to Lily, wanting to get out of the house as quick as possible, because she was sure their Mom was onto them. Emily watched as the girls left the kitchen, before turning to Alison.

'Is it just me, or is something going on with them?' She asked, needing confirmation either way that she wasn't losing her mind. She wasn't sure whether she was overreacting, or whether the girls were acting strangely shifty.  
'What do you mean?' Alison asked as she grabbed the girls' uneaten cereal bowls and began to tidy them away, tipping the cereal down the garbage disposal before washing the bowl in the sink.  
'I don't know, just...it feels like there's something off with them. It just all feels too...familiar' Emily replied, unsure of how to word her thoughts, because her mind was trying to comprehend the idea of what she thought was happening, but the very thought of it was terrifying, let alone vocalising said thought. Alison seemed to understand exactly, her head snapping up from her soapy hands for a second, before she looked back sown, her motions slowing as she wiped the sponge over the outside of the white bowl.  
'If you're trying to say what I think you're trying to say, then you can get that thought out of your head' she replied, her voice low and almost warning, because this wasn't something she was prepared to even think about.  
'Jude, go upstairs and get ready for school' Alison added, wanting their son out of the room, because she knew that Emily was like a dog with a bone, and Alison knew exactly where this conversation was heading.  
'But, I'm still eating breakfast'  
'I don't care, I said go upstairs' Alison snapped, though she tried to keep her voice from rising too much. Emily looked from Alison to Jude, offering the young boy a soft, reassuring smile as he sighed and left the table. Alison whipped his bowl away before he had even left the room, and Emily knew that this was a sure sign her Wife was anxious. She had learned a long time ago that Alison liked to clean when she was feeling uneasy or stressed, particularly when there was an argument brewing between them.

'Ali, we need to talk about this' Emily sighed, getting up from the table. She walked across the kitchen and stopped next to Alison, placing a comforting hand on the small of her Wife's back, as the blonde furiously scrubbed at the bowl.  
'Talk about what, Em? So our daughters were a little grouchy this morning and wanted to get a ride into school with Sawyer instead of us. Not a big deal' Alison replied in an uneven tone, trying her best to brush this conversation away.  
'Did you not see the way they both looked at their phones just then?' Emily asked, taking her hand back from Alison's back. She couldn't believe that her Wife was able to just ignore this, because while she wasn't sure what was going on with the girls, her gut was telling her that something wasn't right and Emily had seen the fear in their eyes when their phones went off. It was something she recognised well, because she and the other four women had shared that same look, time and time again, for years.  
'No!' Alison snapped, dropping the bowl in the sink with a crash. 'Look, maybe they had an argument with one of their friends or something' she added, lowering her voice again as she picked the bowl back up and placed it on the drainer.  
'Ali...'  
'No, Emily. Just because they don't want to pick up their phones, doesn't mean there's something going on. Now come on, we need to get going or we're going to be late' Alison replied with a finality to her voice, moving away from the other woman and leaving her standing alone in the kitchen. Emily let out a heavy breath and chewed on her lip, unable to shake the feeling that was knotting her stomach.

'Look, we haven't had any more messages. Maybe it was a one off, or whoever it was got bored' Sawyer said, as she pulled her car up into the parking lot.  
'I don't know' Lily breathed, shaking her head softly.  
'Well, either way we need to just try to go through our day like normal' Sawyer replied as she put the car into park and switched off the engine.  
'You think we can do that?' She asked, turning in her seat to look at Grace, who had sat silently in the back seat.  
'I'll try' the brunette mumbled unconvincingly, because she wasn't sure she even knew what normal was anymore.  
'Ok, let's go' the older girl replied, before swinging her door open and climbing out of the car, the two DiLaurentis-Fields girls following behind her. They headed towards the school, Lily's eyes instantly spotting Ava, who was lingering by the front doors with a look of terror on her face. The blonde looked just as worn down and scared as they did, and Lily internally wondered how the hell they were supposed to act normal when they were all walking around like real life Zombies.

'Hey babe, you ok?' Lily greeted, leaning in to place a peck on Ava's lips, frowning when the blonde pulled away.  
'I got a text' she whispered, her voice rough and husky as though she had been crying. The other three girls looked at her with wide eyes, their thoughts of this passing over leaving their minds instantly.  
'What did it say?' Grace asked hesitantly, unsure if she even wanted to read it but knowing that she needed to. They waited patiently as Ava slowly pulled her phone from her back pocket and clicked her screen, opening up a message.

 _Hefty Hanna's daughter is a Dirty Dyke for the DiLaurentis girl, but are you willing to ditch the bitch to keep her safe? – ADF_

'Oh my god, Aves' Lily breathed, her eyes widened in shock. She instantly moved in to pull her girlfriend into her arms, wanting to keep the blonde safe and tell her that they had nothing to worry about, but Ava gently pushed the brunette away.  
'Stop' she said softly, her eyes brimming with tears. 'I think we need to keep our distance from each other. Just for now' Ava continued, her heart feeling like it was about to break, because she didn't want this. She loved Lily, and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt her, but if it meant keeping her safe, then Ava was willing to put them both through a little emotional pain.  
'What? No!' Lily exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief. 'Ava, don't let this psycho get in your head' she added, her heart sitting high in her throat at the possibility of losing the girl she loved.

'I'm sorry. I can't risk this' Ava replied, her voice cracking as she blinked back tears and held back the urge to cry. With one last look at Lily's tear-filled brown eyes, she turned away and walked into the school, unable to look into that beautiful face any longer, because she knew that she would give in if she saw the other girl cry.  
'Ava...' Lily cried, her tears falling free from her eyes and tumbling down her cheeks. Grace and Sawyer pulled the girl into a tight hug, holding her between them, their own hearts hurting as they watched Ava walk away, clearly wiping away a tear as she headed into the building. Lily cried hard into Grace's shoulder, while Sawyer brushed her hair back out of her face.  
'Lily, I know that this is hard, but this wasn't her choice' Sawyer said softly, wanting to ease some of the younger girl's pain.  
'Yeah, as soon as this is over, she'll come running back to you' Grace agreed, while Lily tried to calm her sobs.

'I love her so much' Lily cried, wiping away her tears from her eyes.  
'We know, and she loves you too' Grace hushed.  
'That's why she's doing this. She wants to keep you safe' Sawyer added, smiling sadly when Lily's tears began to slow and the brunette nodded.  
'I know, I just didn't think she'd walk away like that' she replied, letting out a deep breath as she pulled away from the other two girls and wiped away her tears.  
'We're going to be late' she whispered, before slowly walking away, leaving the other two girls to look at each other in concern before following her.  
'Do you think she'll be ok?' Sawyer asked, her voice low so that Lily couldn't hear.  
'I hope so' Grace sighed in response as they made their way into the now deserted hall.

They walked along the hall of Rosewood High, the last few students lingering after the first bell, and Lily and Ava were both frozen at their lockers, the doors still closed as they looked down the hall towards each other, both girls' eyes full of sadness and pain. Grace walked over to Lily, stopping at her own locker next to hers, while Sawyer headed to her locker across the hall. Ava looked away from Lily, unable to take the pain reflected back at her any more, and opened her locker, the other girls following the action almost simultaneously. The four metal doors creaked as they opened, and all four girls let out loud screams as bloodied, furry bodies swung from a string, attached to the top of the locker. It was as though this new 'A' had planned for them to open their lockers together, the dead, grey rabbits swinging by their necks as the girls stared in horror, each with their own note stapled to the bodies. It was Lily who snapped out of her shock first, her shaky hand reaching up to the rabbit's body to pull the note off so she could read it.

 _It's culling season. You better run, bitches – ADF_

Lily looked over to Sawyer, who was now reaching out for her own identical note, before turning her head to Grace beside her, who had frozen in shock. She finally turned to Ava, who had slammed her own locker shut, and she was suddenly aware of the small group of students who were staring at them, and their dead rabbit friends. 'A' might have somehow planned for them to discover their 'surprises' together, but they hadn't planned for Alison and Emily to walk through the doors too, the two women freezing in shock at the scene before them.  
'Mom' Lily breathed, when she saw her Moms standing just feet away, her tears springing to her eyes again as she finally broke down to the fear and sadness that was overwhelming her.

Alison bowed her head as she sat at her desk, while Emily perched on the edge, the girls' words of what was happening feeling surreal, like a horrific nightmare come to life. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that history was indeed repeating itself, as the vicious message Grace had shown them stated, and Alison wasn't sure she was able to go through this again, especially not when it concerned her daughters.  
'Why didn't you tell us about this when you got this first message?' she asked in a low, even voice, holding out the screwed up, pink post-it note in her hand. She couldn't even look at it, the very words making her feel sick to the stomach.  
'I don't know. At first I thought it was Lily playing a fucked up joke, and then we all got the message at The Brew the next day' Grace replied, mentally realising how stupid and naive her explanation sounded.  
'And, we didn't want to worry you guys' Lily added, her tears still lingering in her eyes as she looked over to Ava, who was standing the other side of Grace. The blonde had stood with her head down, her eyes fixed on her feet as though they were the most interesting thing in the world.

'We will sort this, ok? We'll find out who's at the bottom of it. It'll be ok' Emily sighed, reaching across to grab Alison's hand on the desk, because she needed something to give her the strength to handle this. Their previous argument was now long forgotten about in Emily's mind, but she could see that her Wife felt guilty.  
'Ok, go to class. Try to keep a low profile while we figure out how to deal with this' Alison instructed, her hand clutching back at Emily's as she looked up at the four girls standing in front of her.  
'Tell us if you get anymore messages, ok?' Emily added with a firmness to her voice that told the girls that this was not a request.  
'Ok' they all mumbled, before filing out of the room, filtering off to their respective classes. Once they were out of sight, Alison let out a deep, heavy breath as she tried to process what was happening.

'I'm sorry I didn't listen to you this morning' she said softly, her eyes fixed on their joined hands. 'I just didn't want to believe it could be true' she added, her voice laced with fear, and Emily vowed that she would protect all three of her girls if her life depended on it.  
'I know. Trust me, I didn't want it to be true' Emily replied softly, squeezing Alison's hand as a silent sign that they would get through this together, because the brunette was sure that without Alison by her side, she wouldn't get through this again. Their history with 'A' was something that had affected Emily greatly, especially in the early 'A' free days, and it was Alison that had helped her to feel safe again.

 _Alison woke slowly, blinking into the darkness of the bedroom. She let out a soft groan and rolled in the bed, her eyes opening wider when she felt the empty space beside her. Realising that Emily wasn't in the bed, she sat up and looked over to the en-suite bathroom in search for light, only to see that the light was off, indicating that Emily wasn't in there. The blonde woman let out a soft sigh, this had been happening more and more lately, and she was growing worried about her girlfriend. Alison rolled herself out of the bed and walked out of the bedroom, heading to the one place that she knew Emily would be. Tip toeing quietly down the dark hall, Alison made her way to the nursery, stopping in the hall to see Emily standing at the side of Grace's crib, looking down at the tiny, sleeping baby as though she were terrified to look away for even a second._

 _'Babe? You ok?' Alison asked, though she knew what Emily's response would be. It would be the same as it was last night, and the night before that, and every night since they had brought the girls home from the hospital three weeks ago._  
 _'I'm fine, I was just checking them' she replied with a forced smile that didn't quite meet her eyes, before turning to face Lily's crib, content that Grace was perfectly fine. Alison smiled sadly before making her way into the room and wrapping her arms tightly around Emily from behind._  
 _'They're fine, Em. You don't need to keep checking on them' Alison whispered into Emily's shirt covered shoulder, before placing a reassuring kiss there. Emily placed her hands on the side of the crib, leaning into it as she bowed her head and took a deep breath. She wasn't sure why she couldn't shake the anxious feeling that she had been feeling since the girls were born. During the day, she was relatively fine, but of a night she couldn't sleep and her mind would run amok with horrific scenarios, until she checked on the girls to make sure everything was ok._

 _'I just get so scared that something is going to happen, and I won't be there to protect them' she replied with a shaky breath as she looked down at the tiny, dark haired baby in the crib, her little chest rising and falling with every breath as she slept peacefully. Alison unwrapped her arms and rounded to the side of Emily, reaching over to cup the opposite cheek and turning her head to face her._  
 _'Emily, I get that you're scared and you're anxious, I do. I feel the same way' Alison started to talk, keeping her voice soft and low so as not to wake the girls. 'But what you're feeling isn't because of what happened with 'A', it's because you're a new parent and suddenly you have these two, helpless little girls depending on you, and that's a scary thought because anything could go wrong at any moment, and if something happens then we are to blame' she continued, seeing some form of clarity in Emily's eyes, as her words started to makes sense to the brunette. 'But, nothing is going to happen to them, because they have you. You've spent years protecting me, and you'll do the same with them' she added with a smile, which widened when Emily's lips turned up into the tiniest of smiles in return._

 _'Now will you please come back to bed?' Alison asked after a moment of silence settled between them._  
 _'You're sure they'll be ok?' Emily asked again, an uneasy feeling settling in her stomach again as she looked from one crib to the next, seeing that both the girls were fast asleep and perfectly fine._  
 _'I'm sure. Besides, we've got the video monitors in place, we'll know if they're not' Alison replied, taking Emily's hand in her own. Smiling when her girlfriend finally nodded and allowed Alison to lead her back to bed. Alison knew that this probably wouldn't be the last time she would wake to find Emily out of the bed, and she was right. For the next few months, Emily would jump out of bed through all times of the night, in order to check on the girls, and Alison would lovingly pull her back down off of the ledge she was on and lead her back to bed. After a few months, her anxiety began to lessen, and Alison was relieved that they could finally both get some sleep._

Emily and Alison tried their best to get through the rest of the day, though their minds couldn't be further from their students. Emily was practically comatose during swim practice, and Alison's mind struggled to get through her Senior and Junior classes, both trying to get their head around the unexpected reality of what was going on and the fact that they would have to tell the other three women about it. Time seemed to both drag, and fly by, until they finally found themselves sitting at their kitchen table, with Hanna, Aria and Spencer looking across at them expectantly, waiting to see why they had been summoned.  
'I hate to say it, but this all feels horribly familiar' Spencer said into the silence as she ran her finger around the rim of her cup, while she looked to the two women across from her.  
'Right? I got chills when I saw that text' Hanna agreed, her eyes cautious and almost expecting of what they were about to tell them. Emily looked to Alison, who cleared her throat.  
'Well...we have something we need to talk to you guys about' she said in a low voice, looking down at her glass of water, because she wasn't sure how to say these words, especially looking into the eyes of the other women.  
'Is everything ok?' Aria asked in concern, her brow furrowing as she saw that Alison was clearly struggling to tell them something.  
'We needed to show you this' Emily spoke up, knowing that she needed to take over for her Wife. She pulled out Grace's phone and opened the text message that had been sent, placing it on the table for the other women to read. The three women read the text, their eyes widening slightly as they finished, looking up to Emily and Alison.

'Someone broke into Grace's room the other night' Alison began to explain the story that the girls had told them in her classroom. 'They left a message on her mirror, then the next day, when she and Lily were at The Brew with Ava and Sawyer, they all got this message. They've had a few individual ones since then, but this morning, someone left...' she paused, feeling sick as she prepared to say the last, disgusting thing. 'someone left dead rabbits in each of their lockers' she finished, feeling the bile rise in her throat as she said the words out loud for the first time.  
'Dead rabbits?' Spencer repeated in shock.  
'No, this cannot be happening' Aria breathed, her voice shaking as her anxiety rose.  
'Are you fucking kidding me?' Hanna half yelled in panic, running her fingers through her hair as she took in what Emily and Alison were saying.

'Guys, breathe' Spencer instructed as she did her best to remain calm herself. She knew that they had all fought their own demons over the years, the results of years of torture having taken it's toll on them all in different ways, and she was aware that the other women's daughters being directly linked with this made it harder for the other women to process the thought of there being another 'A'. Spencer had always been a little envious of how close the other women's daughters had grown so close over the years, wishing that she and Toby had had their daughter earlier, because she would have loved to have her daughter growing up with the other girls, but for the first time, she was thankful of the age difference. It gave her hope that her own daughter would be spared from this evil, at least for now anyway.  
'Don't tell me to breathe, Spencer. My fucking daughter is being stalked by a psychopath' Hanna yelled frantically, her eyes wide and almost wild looking as panic and fear set in. Every memory of 'A' and what she was put through came rushing to the surface, and the thought of any of that happening to Ava made it that much worse.

'We don't know that' Spencer replied calmly, wanting to try to remain as hopeful as possible, though she knew that there was no way this could be anything else.  
'Excuse me, but ADF? Its not fucking alphabetti spaghetti, Spencer, and unless it really is Ali this time, then what else could it be!?' Hanna argued, her hands flying wildly as she spoke, causing Aria to have to lean back in her chair in order to not be hit in the face.  
'Well, they're unoriginal, if anything' Alison mused, though she found nothing remotely funny about her initials being used, yet again, by some whacko with a vendetta against god knows what.  
'Look, fighting isn't going to solve this' Aria spoke for the first time, trying to push her anxiety aside in order to focus on a plan, and she knew that that wouldn't be possible with Hanna and Spencer at each other's throats. Hanna let out a deep breath, trying to cool her temper.

'I agree' Spencer breathed as she eyed Hanna, waiting for another blow out from the blonde. 'The first thing we need to do is talk to the girls and make sure there's nothing that they're hiding' she added, formulating a plan in her head.  
'What do you mean, hiding?' Emily asked, wanting clarification for what exactly they were going to do, because she wasn't taking any chances, especially when it came to the girls.  
'She means, we need to see if they're keeping any secrets' Alison explained, taking Emily's hand into her own, knowing they needed to lean on each other now more than ever before.  
'What? Why would you even think that they were?' Hanna asked, her tone still edged with anger and frustration.  
'Because, that's how this whole thing started with us, or rather, with me' Alison replied sadly, feeling the old familiar feeling of guilt wash over her, because she realised that regardless, she was the reason this was happening. Emily squeezed her hand, silently letting her know that she was there.  
'Yeah, and we need to evaluate the situation before we decide what to do next' Spencer began to explain the plan, keeping it short and precise. 'If the girls haven't gotten themselves involved in anything they shouldn't have, then I say we nip this thing in the bud quick and early' she finished, knowing that at least one of the women wasn't going to agree with this plan.

'You mean...'  
'...go to the cops? Are you insane!?' Hanna blurted, her voice rising again at the thought of getting the cops involved, because they weren't exactly helpful the first, or second, time around.  
'Look, we're not the same teenagers we were back then' Emily interrupted, not wanting to let Hanna go off on another tangent. 'We're adults, and this is our kids we're talking about. We can't let this go on for as long as it did last time' she added, trying her best not to think of the possibility that her daughters could go through years of endless fear and terror.  
'I agree. I think we need to do things differently this time' Alison said softly, nodding her head in agreement, while she too tried to stop her mind from wandering to the most terrifying thoughts, and stay focused on the facts.  
'This is insane. Like, are we actually saying that A, or whoever the fuck this freak is calling themselves now, is back?' Hanna asked, her voice calmer and softer than before, the previous anger replaced with vulnerability. The five women looked between each other at these words, the planning that had previously somewhat occupied their minds gone, and the harsh reality hitting them in the face.  
The women looked at each other, too scared to admit it.

'Lily, Grace. I need you to promise me that you have nothing that you're hiding' Alison asked the girls sitting in front of her. The five women had spent the rest of the afternoon formulating a plan to help keep the four teenagers safe, and with the reality of the situation finally sunk in, they were ready to get into action.  
'We won't be mad at you if you are, we just need to know the truth so that we can get a handle on this' Emily added when the girls didn't answer straight away, wanting to reassure her daughters that they could be honest with them, with no rebuttals for doing so.  
'No, I swear' Grace replied honestly, while Lily shook her head, silently stating that she had nothing to hide. She had spent the entire day sitting in a mixture of shock and sadness, but mostly just feeling devastated that the one person she needed right now, had barely looked at her since she left her on the steps of the school that morning.

'Aves?' Hanna questioned, looking at her daughter, who had yet to look up from her feet. The younger blonde shook her head firmly, not trusting her voice to speak, because she could feel Lily's eyes on her and it hurt. She felt as though her heart was shattering, and she was furious with whoever this person was that had made her hurt the one person she loved most in the world.  
'Look at me and promise me' Hanna pushed, needing solid confirmation that there were no secrets before she shipped her daughter off to the police station.  
'I'm not hiding anything, ok!? God, get off of my back!' Ava snapped, looking up at her Mom with angry in her eyes, causing Hanna to visibly flinch at the sight that was so reminiscent of herself.

'Ava, they're trying to help us' Lily said, her voice full of exhaustion and sadness, and she wanted to hold Ava and take away the justified anger she was feeling.  
'Stay the hell out of it, Lily' The younger blonde snarled, her temper getting the better of her, and hearing Lily's voice was not helping right now.  
'No, Ava. I won't stay out of it, because believe it or not, this isn't all about you!' Lily snapped back, taken aback by the fact that Ava had yelled at her, because they had never raised their voices at each other, not even as kids. She hated that they were acting like this towards each other, and she knew that it was because of the faceless monster they were facing. Lily had never felt such hatred for anything in her life, and it was making her own rage build, as she looked into Ava's eyes and saw that ice blue that still made her heart melt. It hurt like hell, and Lily wanted to scream about how unfair this all was, and how she should have gotten a say in what happened with them. She wanted to shake Ava and tell her that she was a coward for walking away, but she couldn't, because she knew that if the shoe was on the other foot, she'd walk a thousand miles away from Ava to keep her safe.

'What's that supposed to mean?' Ava asked, her angry tone tinged with hurt, though her voice was still raised, and the girls were face to face, screaming at each other from two feet away, while their Moms watched on in shock and Sawyer and Grace looked to each other, silently asking whether to step in and pull the two girls apart, because it looked like they were about to throw down.  
'It's the fucking Ava Rivers show, all the fucking time and I'm sick of it! I'm sick of you calling the shots and making the decisions, and ditching me at the first sign of things getting tough! You're not the only one going through this, Ava' Lily ranted, all her thoughts tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them, and it only made her feel worse because she could literally see Ava's heart breaking in front of her eyes. She wanted to take it all back and say she didn't mean it, but it was too late, the words were out there and the tears were already forming in Ava's eyes.  
'And you're not the only one who's hurt, Lily' Ava replied, trying to keep her voice fierce, though the cracks made it lose its edge. 'You think I wanted to walk away from you? I'm doing it to protect you, because I'd rather you hate me than be dead!' She added, her tears falling as she shouted, trying to hold back the urge to cry.

'Ok, girls. You need to calm down' Spencer said softly, while Alison, Emily and Hanna felt their hearts break for their daughters and this impossible position that had seemingly been forced upon them. They remembered what it was like having to make sacrifices for the ones they loved, and they hated even more that their daughters were literally walking in their footsteps.  
'Spencer's right, this is how A works. They get under your skin, turn you against each other and then everything falls apart' Aria added, wanting to help calm the situation between the distraught teenagers, who were now letting their tears fall as they looked at each other, both completely and utterly heartbroken.  
'Yeah, you're stronger together' Alison chimed in, sympathy radiating from her. 'Trust me, I know' she added, remembering all the time she had spent on the run and how hard it had been, compared to facing 'A' head on with the other girls.  
'So, what do we do?' Sawyer asked softly, wanting to break the tension that was still lingering in the atmosphere.  
'We need to talk to the cops. Tell them what's going on. Then we go from there' Spencer explained, looking from the girls, to Aria, Hanna, Emily and Alison, the three latter women still watching their daughters cautiously, as Ava and Lily remained locked in a desperate stare.

Spencer sat in the cold waiting area of the Police Station, time ticking by slowly while the girls spoke to separate Police Officers to give their statements. Throughout the day, Spencer had spent all her energy focusing on saving the other women's daughters, and while her mind had flitted to her own daughter, it wasn't until now, being alone in the quietness of the Police Department, that she really thought about the possibility of Phoebe coming into any danger.  
'I love you too, baby girl' she spoke into her phone, a genuine smile gracing her mouth as she spoke to her daughter.  
'Yeah. Be good for your Dad, ok? Can you put him on for a second? I need to talk to him' she added, her heart pounding at the thought of what she was about to do.

'Hi Spence. What's up?' Toby's voice chirped through the phone.  
'Toby, I need you to help me' Spencer said, a seriousness to her tone that made Toby's ears prick up.  
'Of course, anything. What's wrong?' He replied genuinely, because though they hadn't been together for a long time now, there was nothing that Toby wouldn't do for Spencer.  
'A is back-' she breathed, instantly being cut off.  
'Are you joking?' he blurted, causing Spencer to grow frustrated, because what she needed to ask was hard enough, without being interrupted.  
'Do I sound like I'm joking?' She replied sharply, taking a breath before she continued. 'Anyway, I need you to keep Phoebe with you for a while. I don't want her here in Rosewood with all of this going on'

'Ok, no problem. What do you want me to tell her?' Toby sighed, his mind racing at what Spencer had just told him, and there was no way he was letting his daughter within ten feet of Rosewood while there was a potential threat on the loose.  
'Uh, I don't know. Anything. Tell her you want to spend some time with her or something. Just look after our little girl and keep her safe for me' Spencer rambled, just happy with the knowledge that their daughter was safe.  
'I promise... Spencer, be safe, ok?'  
'I will, I promise' she breathed, before hanging up the call. She rubbed at her head as she felt herself physically relax at the thought of Phoebe being safe.

Spencer tapped her phone against her hand as she waited impatiently for the girls to finish giving their statements, and it wasn't long before they emerged sporadically. First to exit was Ava and Hanna, the teenager looking thoroughly pissed off.  
'Hey, how did it go?' Spencer asked, looking up as Emily and Lily, and Sawyer and Aria came out of their respective interview rooms.  
'It went fine' Hanna sighed, eyeing Ava, who looked like she was about to blow up.  
'Yeah, until they took away my phone' the younger blonde raised her voice, causing a few Officers to look in her direction, and Grace, who was just leaving her interview with Alison, to stop in shock at the blonde's outburst.  
'Ave, you know they needed it to track where the texts were coming from' Hanna explained, rolling her eyes, because they had already been through this a dozen times in the interview room.  
'Well Dad could have done that, and I would still have my damn phone!' Ava replied, growling in frustration, while Lily looked on, debating whether she should try to calm the other girl, but before she could make a decision, the blonde was walking away and heading towards the front door.

'Don't leave this police station, Ava' Hanna called after her daughter, who spun around and groaned in frustration.  
'What? I can't even go outside anymore!?' She yelled again, before skulking over to a seat across the station and crossing her arms over her chest.  
'It's for your protection. Until we find out who is responsible for this, nobody is going anywhere alone' Alison informed the girls, mostly directing her words to her own daughters.  
'Man, this freaking ADF person is seriously pissing me off now' Sawyer moaned, though she wasn't too annoyed because she didn't particularly want to be going anywhere alone anyway.  
'Tell me about it' Grace mumbled in agreement, while Lily looked longingly at Ava.

Lily slowly walked over to where Ava was sitting, hovering in front of her silently as an uneasy feeling settled over her. She wanted to talk to Ava, to fix things with them, but she wasn't sure how the girl would be with her. Deciding that she should just go for it, Lily sat in the seat next to the blonde, letting out a small puff of air before she spoke.  
'I'm sorry for kicking off at you earlier' she apologised timidly, looking at her fingernails as she waited for Ava to tell her where to stick her apology.  
'No, it's ok' Ava replied after a moments hesitation. 'I deserved it, I was being a bitch' she admitted, knowing that her behaviour had been less than acceptable.  
'No, no you weren't' Lily replied automatically, earning a pointed look from Ava, which caused her to nod and chuckle. 'Ok, you were, but I get it. You're scared, we all are'

'I know that you probably hate me right now for what I'm doing to you, but...I just can't bare the thought of anything happening to you because of me' Ava said softly, taking Lily's hand into her own as she played with the girl's fingers.  
'Ava, if anything happens, it wont be because of you' Lily replied, taking the blonde's hand fully into her own and catching her eye contact. 'It'll be because some crazy person decided that history should repeat itself. Us being together won't change what's going to happen' she said earnestly, wanting Ava to hear what she was saying, because she couldn't bare another day without her girlfriend.  
'I'm just so scared' Ava admitted, tears forming in her eyes as she looked into the eyes of the girl she had hated so much to hurt. 'I'm so sorry that I hurt you' she breathed, being instantly hushed by Lily, as the brunette cupped Ava's cheek and gently pulled her in to the most tender, loving kiss.

The four teenagers left the Police Station, trailing behind the five adults in front of them, a sense of lightness washing over them now that they had reported what was happening, though they were all more than aware that it was far from over.  
'Uh, Grace' Lily said, as she walked hand in hand with Ava, nodding in the direction of a car parked on the sidewalk, which Aaron leaned against casually.  
'Oh god, I cannot deal with this right now' Grace sighed, speeding up her steps as she walked across to her ex-boyfriend.  
'What are you doing here, Aaron?' she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest as he straightened himself up.  
'I know you don't want to see me right now, and I know that you're super pissed at me, which you have every right to be' he began, looking nervous as he spoke. 'I just wanted to make sure you were ok. I heard what happened at school today and... well, are you? Ok, I mean?'  
'I'm fine' Grace replied sharply, looking away from Aaron, because looking at him brought back the pain that he had made her feel, which had been temporarily put on hold since they started getting the messages from ADF.

'Grace, please just talk to me...'  
'Why, Aaron? I have enough whacky bullshit in my life right now, I don't need to deal with your cheating ass too' she spat, a look of disgust evident on her face.  
'Please, just...let me drive you home. If you don't want to talk to me after that, then I'll leave you alone for good' Aaron tried again, desperation flooding his voice as he spoke, and Lily couldn't help but notice how weak he looked in that moment, as though his life depended on Grace hearing him out.  
'Hear him out, Grace. It's literally a five minute care ride' Lily spoke up from behind, where she was leaning into Ava's side as she watched the encounter. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the older teenager.  
'Ok' Grace relented, biting down on her bottom lip as she fought the voices in her head that were screaming with her to just get in her Moms car and go home. 'Five minutes and then I want you to leave me the hell alone. Is that ok, Mom?' she asked, turning to her Moms, silently hoping that they said no.

Emily and Alison looked to each other, having a silent conversation over what to do. Emily wasn't happy about it, she didn't want this boy anywhere near her daughter, but Alison seemed to feel differently. She knew how much Aaron had meant to Grace, and he had seemed good for her before the cheating. However angry she was about the way Aaron had treated her daughter, she knew that it was Grace's decision to make as to whether or not she forgave him.  
'I guess it's ok' she replied, looking back to Grace and Aaron, her eyes looking the teenager up and down in clear disapproval. Aaron looked at Alison cautiously, which turned to fear when Emily turned to him, pointing a finger in his direction.  
'If you hurt her, I swear to god, Aaron, I will bury you so far underground, you'll be eating Kung Po Chicken for breakfast' she threatened, looking Aaron in the eye before turning and walking with Alison to the car.  
'What she said' Lily chimed with a chuckle, as she and Ava followed her Moms.

Grace slid herself into Aaron's car and buckled up, while he settled himself into the driver's seat. Silence washed over them as he reversed his silver Honda Civic and pulled out of the parking lot, Grace watched out of the window as they passed her Moms and the rest of the group, who were still talking by the car.  
'Why'd you do it, Aaron?' She finally asked, wanting to get the answers she felt she deserved. 'We were together for over a year. Did that mean nothing to you?' Grace continued, the hurt she had been feeling obvious in her voice.  
'I'm sorry, it was a moment of weakness, ok? It's not something I'm proud of' Aaron replied lamely as he side eyed Grace, who was still looking out of the window, refusing to look at him.  
'A moment of weakness?' She let out a low, humourless chuckle. 'A moment of losing your freaking mind, maybe' she added bitterly, as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

'God, why do you think you're so fucking perfect?' Aaron snapped, the apologetic tone from before, now replaced with an anger that Grace had never heard from him.  
'Excuse me?' She asked in offence, turning to face him fully now, as she prepared herself to throw down and tell him exactly what she thought of him.  
You, Lily, all of you. You all walk around like you're fucking Beyonce or something, and you're not!' Aaron snapped, his foot tightening as he shouted at Grace, causing the car to pick up speed. 'You're just a bunch of selfish bitches! I guess bad apples don't fall too far from the tree' he spat as he looked at Grace with a look of pure disgust and hatred.  
'What's that supposed to mean?' She asked in shock, taken aback by the way Aaron was talking to her and looking at her as though he hated every bone in her body, when he was so apologetic just moments beforehand.  
'I mean that you're exactly like your Moms' he snarled, his attention now fully on Grace, the car's speed still gradually increasing 'Jumped up, self-entitled, narcissistic bitches. They deserved every damn thing that happened to them, and so do you' he continued to rant, his face reddening with anger as he spat his words.

Grace froze at Aarons words, realisation suddenly washing over her as everything seemed to click into place.  
'It's you, isn't it... You're ADF' she breathed as chills ran up her spine and her blood suddenly felt ice cold in her veins. Aaron let out a loud, deep growl as his foot hit the accelerator, propelling the car forwards and significantly increasing the speed.  
'Aaron Daniel Foster...I should have fucking known it' Grace said in shock, her heart racing at the thought of what Aaron was doing. He was the person who had left the messages, the person who had left dead rabbits for them to find, and had practically forced Ava to break her sister's heart.  
'Well, maybe I'll add dumb bitch onto my list...' He said with a vicious laugh, his eyes now on the road as the car sped through the narrow streets of Rosewood.  
'Aaron, slow the car down' Grace shouted, as the car continued to pick up speed, while Aaron gripped the steering wheel.

'I fucking loved you, Grace!' He screamed as he kept his foot slammed down on the accelerator.  
'Aaron! Slow the fucking car down, now!' Grace screamed back, fear in her eyes as she spotted the sharp turn at the end of the road, knowing they were definitely going too fast to make it around the bend safely.  
'All I wanted to do was show you how much I loved you, and you threw it back in my fucking face!' Aaron continued to scream. 'One fucking mistake, and you threw it all away!'  
'STOP THE FUCKING CAR, AARON! ' Grace screamed louder as fearful tears sprung in her eyes.  
'It's ok though' Aaron continued, his voice suddenly strangely calm and quieter. 'Because we're going to be together forever. I'll make sure of that' he added, before suddenly jerking the steering wheel to the side, causing them to veer off to the side and straight into a tree with a crash.

'Do you think Grace and Aaron will get back together?' Lily asked from the back of the car, Aca snuggled into her side.  
'I don't know' Alison replied, from behind the steering wheel, her eyes trained on the road ahead of her. 'I hope not anyway' she added with a sigh, because she didn't want to have to go through her daughter having her heart broken again.  
'If I was her, I'd cut his balls off and stick them down his throat' Ava stated matter-of-factly, as she snuggled in deeper to Lily's side, happy that she was back on good terms with her girlfriend. Even though it had only been a day, she hated being away from Lily.  
'God, you are far too much like your Mother' Emily chuckled from beside Alison, as she remembered Hanna saying those exact same words just a few days earlier.

They continued along the road in a comfortable silence, allowing themselves to relax a little as Alison drove. She peered her eyes when she spotted a car in the distance, though she couldn't make it out through the darkness that had descended upon them.  
'Is that Aaron's car?' She asked once they were close enough to see, her blood running cold as she spotted her daughter sitting on the ground beside the car, covered in blood.  
'Oh my god, Grace' Emily gasped, causing Ava and Lily to jolt upright and crane their necks to see out the windshield. Alison pulled the car to a stop at the side of the road and both she and Emily instantly jumped from the car, though the brunette was quicker and was already at Grace's side by the time Alison had the car shut off and her belt unbuckled. Emily crouched down in front of Grace, taking her by her cheeks as she looked into the girl's shocked, brown eyes.  
'Baby, what happened?' She asked, while her daughter remained frozen in place, while Alison stood eagerly behind her wife, her eyes flicking up and down Grace's slumped body, looking for injuries and a possible source of the blood that the teenager was covered in.

Lily and Ava made their way over, their eyes widening when they saw the mess that the other teenager was in. Lily looked over at the car, that was now mangled and wrapped around a tree trunk, and she almost screamed at the sight.  
'Mom' she cried, grabbing Alison's arm so that her Mom would turn around. Alison turned and gave Lily a questioning look, before following the teenager's eyeline, her own eyes widening when she saw Aaron hanging half way out of the now partially shattered windshield.  
'Oh my god' she breathed, looking down to Emily and Grace, before back at the teenage boy. As much as she despised him for hurting her daughter, Alison felt compelled to help him.  
'Stay here' she instructed Lily and Ava, before heading over to the front of the car. She moved in closer to take a good look, covering her mouth with her hand when she saw that his face had been completely shredded by the glass, and his eyes remained open, unblinking and lifeless. It was all too reminiscent of her own memories.

 _Alison sat in on the ground, the dirty sticking to her knees beneath her hospital gown as shock overwhelmed her body. It was a strange feeling. She felt numb, but also free, and for the first time in weeks, her mind was clear and lucid, though all she could see was his face. His dead, lifeless eyes staring at them from the windshield. She had been vaguely aware of the girls talking earlier, trying to come up with a plan, but she had been pretty useless at helping, she was more than aware of that. It was that thought that had her where she was now, kneeling before her dead husbands freshly dug grave, pulling his hospital pass from the ground._  
 _'You're going to need this' she mumbled monotonously._  
 _The other four girls looked at her in shock, not entirely sure what to say. It was Emily that was the first to jump in, her tears still falling down her beautiful, dirt covered face._  
 _'Ali...you don't have to do this' she whispered as she knelt beside the blonde. 'We can find another way' she added, because she hated the thought of the other woman having to go back to that place._

 _Alison thought for a moment, trying to think logically through the shock that was still taking her over, trying to push away his face that made her so angry, she wanted to dig his body back up and kill him all over again._  
 _'No, it's the only way' she mumbled in response, looking up into those eyes that seemed to ground her, only this time they weren't as successful because Emily looked as lost as she did._  
 _'I'll come with you' Emily breathed, reaching out to take Alison's hand, the blonde shaking her head in protest, because she knew that as hard as it would be to go back to Welby, it would be ten times harder with Emily's sad eyes looking at her. Alison needed someone who would make sure she stayed put and would be firm with her, someone objective and who could disconnect their emotional attachment. Usually she would ask Spencer to do it, but the brunette had her own demons of institutions that could possibly sway her, and with Hanna as shaken as she was right now, there was only one other person left._  
 _'No, it has to be Aria' she mumbled._

'What the hell happened!?' Hanna called as she climbed out of her car, followed by Spencer, while Aria was pulling up her car just behind. The three women, and Sawyer, all froze as they took in the scene of Emily trying to get a shocked Grace to talk to her, Alison stood by the car with her hand over her mouth like she was going to be sick, and Lily and Ava frozen in place, looking a little lost.  
'Ok, uh, Sawyer can you take Lily and Ava back to the car please?' Spencer requested, because she wasn't sure what was going on, but she was sure that the girls were best off in the car. Sawyer nodded and went to the two younger girls, leading them back to her Mom's car.  
'Hanna, check on Em and Grace' Spencer told her, Hanna nodding instantly and heading over to the two brunettes. 'Aria?' Spencer turned to the shorter brunette, before tilting her head in Alison's direction, signalling that they would take this one together.

'Grace, what happened?' Emily asked for the fourth time, because she wasn't sure if this was a simple accident or an 'A' thing.  
'It was Aaron' Grace mumbled, blinking a little life back into her eyes.  
'What was Aaron? The accident?' She asked, while Hanna furrowed her brow, looking over to Alison, Spencer and Aria, where the shorter brunette was now on the phone to Emergency Services, and Spencer was leading Alison away from the gruesome scene, that Hanna could only imagine, because she was sure she had seen one very much the same, judging by the legs that were hung over the dashboard.  
'Grace?' Emily urged, bringing Hanna back to the scene in front of her.  
'He...It was him...Aaron Daniel Foster' she mumbled, her words coming out broken, but the two women in front of her knew exactly what she was saying, Hanna's eyes widening at the realisation.

'He wanted to kill me, Mom' Grace exclaimed, tears forming in her eyes at the thought of what could have been. Emily pulled Grace into her, holding her tight as she looked over her daughter's head to Alison, who was being calmed by Spencer. The women were barely aware of the sudden flashing lights and sirens from the Police cars and Ambulance that were arriving, and it wasn't until an EMT came to check on Grace that Emily even acknowledged their presence.  
'Hi, is it Grace?' The male EMT asked, having gotten the information he needed from Aria, who was the only woman not dealing with a distraught DiLaurentis-Fields right now, while Hanna helped to fill the police in with the information she had.  
'You've got a pretty nasty gash on your head there, Grace, do you mind if I take a look?' He asked, trying to get the teenager to respond, not moving in until she finally nodded. Emily pulled back and stood, taking a step away to allow the EMT to check Grace over.

'Em' Alison sighed, as she walked over to Emily, who instantly wrapped her arm around her Wife.  
'Is it true? Was Aaron the one doing this to them?' Alison asked as she wrapped her arms around Emily's waist and snuggled into her, in search of comfort and some form of safety.  
'Yeah, I don't know exactly what happened though. Grace is in too much shock to really say anything' she explained, her eyes trained on her daughter, who currently had a small flashlight being shone into her eyes to test her neuro-functions.  
'Is she ok, though? Like, she's not hurt or anything? Alison asked, as she tried to erase her mind of Aaron's body, which was now being carefully removed from the car.  
'Yeah, I think so. She's just going to be in shock for a little while, I think' Emily replied, placing a kiss to the top of Alison's head, before gently resting her chin against her crown. Emily wondered how they were supposed to help their daughter through this, when they had barely gotten themselves through it all those years ago, and it seemed like this had brought up all kinds of bad memories for Alison, which worried Emily even more. She figured that she would have to be the strong one, and help get her girls through this, because together they could get through anything.

* * *

 **Sooooo, a looooot happened there. Aaron was the one stalking the girls, to get revenge on Grace for dumping his cheating ass. I think it's safe to say that homeboy had issues. How will this affect Grace? And will this all bring back bad memories for Alison? We're in for a bumpy ride, folks!**

 **As for Lily and Ava, I hated writing the scene where Ava breaks up with Lily, because of 'A'. It was tough, especially because she didn't want to do it. BUT, things ended well for them, so that was cool.**

 **We got a smidge of an Emison argument, plus an 'old school Emison vibe' Avily argument! Hanna was just freaking out all over the place and shouting about alphabetti spaghetti. It's definitely been a shit storm!**

 **Anyway, I literally have run out of the ability to write anymore. This chapter killed my hands, so I'm going to go give them some love, they deserve it!**

 **I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. Literal blood, sweat and tears went into it, and I've spent the last few nights dreaming of psycho stalkers, so yeahhhhhh.**

 **Anyway, until next time**

 **Lo**

 **xx**


	19. Just Say Yes

**Ok, put the guns down. Please don't shoot! I know I've been gone for a crazy long time, and I sincerely apologise. For those of you who follow my Tumblr, I explained what has been going on, but for those of you who don't, I will explain again. You all know that my work load is crazy at the moment. I'm working 50 hour weeks, and it's exhausting. On top of that, my girlfriend and I have just bought a house together. For anyone in the UK, who has dealt with mortgage advisors, solicitors, etc, you'll know that this is basically like having another full time job. It's ridiculous. So basically, the little time I used to have for writing, has now become miniscule. I was able to get around 500 words done a day, if at all. The only way I've managed to update this today is because I've been signed off of work with a chest infection, so...silver linings, y'all! I'm super sick, so the end of this is probably pure shite, but hey ho. It's a chapter for you.  
The end...I'm not sure how it's going to go down. You will see.**

 **To that very observant commenter that spotted that I had accidentally given Aaron 2 surnames, Fifty Points to Gryffindor! I myself did not notice that, I had actually forgotten that I had given him a surname at all. This is what happens when you don't plan, folks! I will go back and change his name in said chapter. thank you for pointing it out to me haha!**

 **Anyway, I will try to have another update with you ASAP. I will have a bit more time opening up in the next week or so, so hopefully you'll get a couple of updates before Christmas :)**

 **Until next time**

 **Lo**

 **xx**

* * *

The front door opened with a soft click, and heavy boots almost echoed through the silence of the dark house as they entered the family home. Silently heading up the stairs without a second though, the person knee where they were going, as if they had been inside the house a million times before. They reached the top of the stairwell and swung a left into the first bedroom, entering silently into the darkness of the pale blue bedroom and peering into the crib, where a brunette haired baby lay peacefully. A gloved hand reached out, a thumb softly brushing against the baby boy's chubby cheek, causing the baby to stir and the intruder to back away quickly and out of the room. They instantly headed to the next bedroom across, this one painted a soft pink. Inside, two brunette little girls lay doubtlessly in their beds, sleep having long ago taken over their bodies. They couldn't have been older than 3 or 4 years in age, and looked so much like their mother. The person paused, taking in the sight of tiny chest raising and falling with every breath they took, before again leaving the room and heading down the hall to the room they were in search of. The room where a blonde woman lay cuddled up into a darker skinned brunette. They rounded the bed, taking in the sight of the couple who slept as though all their troubles were over. Little did they know that it was just beginning. The stranger walked into the darkness of the room, only lit by the soft midnight glow through the peep of a curtain. Their eyes remained trained on the blonde woman as they steadily made their way closer to the bed, pausing when they reached the edge of the blonde's side. They paused and observed for a second, the way her lips parted slightly as she slept and the way her breath dragged in and out steadily. Two leather gloves hands reached out, wrapping tightly around the woman's throat, causing blue eyes to open suddenly as she gasped for air and sleepily tried to prise the hands away as she stated up into the face of the black nodded figure in the night.

Alison shot up in the bed, gasping for air and drenched in sweat. She looked around the room to see that there was nobody there, yet the feeling of fingers gripping her throat was still very present. She gingerly brought her hand up, rubbing the area that she could still feel the strong hands squeezing against her skin, and looked over to see that Emily was still sleeping peacefully. She had been having nightmares like this for the past two weeks, since the whole fiasco with Aaron. Sometimes her dreams were filled with a hooded stranger trying to hurt her, or Emily and the kids, other times she just dreamt endlessly of Aaron's dead, bloodied face as his body lie half way through the shattered windshield. It was an image that seemed to haunt her both night and day, whether she was sleeping of not. With her heart racing and her hands shaking, Alison knew that the fear was too much for her to date going back to sleep now, so she found herself climbing from the warmth of the bed and heading out of the bedroom. She gave a quick check in on each of her children, seeing that only Grace's bedroom was empty, though the empty bed didn't surprise her since her daughter was struggling with sleep as much as she was. Alison let out a soft sigh and headed down to the living room, knowing that she would find the brunette teenager there. Sure enough, Alison found her there lying sideways on the couch, staring blankly at the TV screen, that was currently showing late night commercials for crappy as-seen-on-tv products.

'Hey baby' Alison greeted softly, as she lovingly ran her hand across the back of her daughter's head, giving her a soft, endearing scratch of the head, who quickly sat up to let Alison sit down, before lying into her Mother, who instantly wrapped an arm around the teenager. It had become familiar practice over the past few weeks, both Grace and Alison having found themselves time after time, heading to the living room and cuddling up together in an effort to relax their anxieties.  
'Couldn't sleep again?' Alison asked as she pulled Grace into her side and began to softly run her fingers through the teenager's brunette hair.  
'Nope' Grace replied monotonously, her eyes barely leaving the spot on the tv, while Alison copied her actions, allowing her mind to be filled with the meaningless information about self-wringing mops, and non-spillable wine glasses.  
'You want to talk about it?' she asked, knowing that she would get the same response as every other time she and Emily had tried to get their daughter to open up.  
'No'  
'Grace, I know this is hard but you need to open up sooner or later' Alison pushed gently, but not wanting to push so much that Grace lost her temper.  
'I don't want to talk about it' the brunette replied monotonously, and the dead look behind her eyes worried Alison. She could see that Grace was struggling since the whole ordeal with Aaron, she just didn't know how to make things right again.

'Ok, well...you know that your Mom and I are here when you're ready' she settled on her reply, because really there wasn't much else she could say. Alison knew that she couldn't force Grace to talk, especially when she herself was barely talking about how she was coping with this, or wasn't coping more like.  
'I know' Grace replied simply, but her face still remained in the same stony expression as before, and to say Alison was worried was an understatement.  
'What movie do you want to watch tonight?' Alison asked, deciding that a change of subject was for the best.  
'I don't care' Grace replied, though she hoped that her Mom would pick something at least moderately funny, because last night they had watched a sappy, romantic movie and it had just made Grace feel sad. Alison let out a soft sigh, before quickly putting on a movie. She herself didn't care much about what movie they watched either, since most of the time she found herself staring blankly at the TV, much like her daughter. She shifted her position, lying her body along the length of the couch and resting her head on a cushion that was propped against the arm, allowing Grace to cuddle into her stomach. The teenager instantly felt herself relax at the closeness to her Mom, feeling more protected and safe than she had done while alone, and it didn't take long for sleep to take over her body.

Alison looked down at her sleeping daughter, and became filled with the same immense feeling of guilt that had been coursing through her for the past few weeks. She wished she had had the ability to protect Grace, and she wasn't sure she would ever be able to forgive herself for letting her daughter down.  
'Hey, having a party without me?' Emily joked quietly as she entered the living room, her hair messy and her voice still husky from sleep. Having woken alone in the bed, she had instantly gotten up, knowing exactly where she would find her Wife. She wasn't surprised to find her cuddled up on the couch with Grace, the same way she had done time and time again over the past few weeks.  
'Hey babe' Alison sighed, as she tilted her head back into the arm of the couch in order to look up at Emily. The brunette quickly leaned down to place a soft, upside down kiss on Alison's lips, before flicking her eyes up to see that Grace was fast asleep.  
'How's she doing?' Emily asked in concern, because Grace had hardly spoken to her since everything happened with Aaron, and the fact that the teenager seemed to be having as much trouble coping with it all as Alison, was ringing alarm bells for brunette woman.  
'Same as yesterday' Alison replied sadly as she ran her fingers through Grace's hair. 'She doesn't want to talk about it.'

Emily bit the inside of her cheek anxiously as she looked down at Alison and Grace, before rounding the couch and settling herself into the smallest of gaps on the edge of the sofa. She lay herself alongside Alison, who shifted herself and Grace over as much as possible in order to make room for the third woman, before Emily rested her hand on their daughter's back and found herself looking longingly into Alison's eyes. She could see the guilt and anguish and conflict screaming at her through blue orbs, and Emily wished that she could take that all away. She knew that Alison felt responsible for what happened to Grace, but she also knew that it wasn't the other woman's fault. It wasn't anyone's fault.  
'And how are you doing?' She asked in the softest, warmest of voices, the voice that was reserved only for Alison and their children.  
'I'm doing ok' Alison lied, avoiding Emily's knowing eyes.  
'Ali' the brunette pressed, rolling her eyes at the blatant lie from her wife.

'Where do I even start?' Alison sighed sadly, because she couldn't deal with the abundance of emotions that were coursing through her, and she was battling with the urge to stay strong for Grace's sake, and break down because it was all too much, and she was only human after all.  
'Talk to me. What's going on in that head of yours?' Emily pushed, because Alison hadn't really opened up about how she was feeling about the whole thing, and she could see that the blonde was being eaten up inside because of it.  
'I just...I feel like I've gone twenty-odd years back in time, and I can't shake this anxiety' Alison tried to explain, but she honestly couldn't put into words how she was feeling. 'I feel guilty for putting the girls through this, I feel guilty that I couldn't protect Grace from Aaron. I feel horrified that he almost killed our daughter in that car, and I feel sad and sick, because the image of him lying through that windshield is haunting me every minute of every day.'

Emily's heart felt suddenly heavy in her chest at the thought of what Alison was going through. Her Wife, who was the strongest person she knew, had intense PTSD after the whole 'A' ordeal had finally ended, and though she had been the one to struggle initially, it was Ali who suffered for the longest time. The blonde eventually became overwhelmed with guilt and hatred for herself, feeling responsible for how fucked up their lives had become. Eventually she had ended up in anxiety medication, and spent months in intense therapy to help her just get through each day.  
'Do you need to go see Dr Hill again?' she asked cautiously, knowing how hard it had been for Alison to admit that she needed help the last time.  
'No' the other woman replied almost immediately, her eyes widening at the mention of her former therapist. Emily bit down on the corner of her mouth anxiously before opening her mouth to speak again.  
'Ok, well will you tell me if it gets too much?' Emily asked in resignation, knowing that pushing the subject wasn't the wisest of ideas.  
'I will. I promise' Alison answered sincerely, her eyes searching Emily's to show that she meant it.  
'Ok' Emily breathed, before leaning over the sleeping teenager between them, who's head was buried in Alison's chest, to place a soft kiss upon her wife's lips.

Emily woke a few hours later, still lying on the couch with Alison cuddled up in her arms. She looked over at her sleeping wife, who looked so peaceful as she breathed heavily through deep sleep. Emily smiled at the sight, it was the calmest she had seen the other woman for a while now, and she had almost forgotten what it was like to see Alison so serene. It took Emily longer than it probably should have, to realise that Grace was no longer on the couch with them. Her brow furrowed at the gap where the teenager had been lying a few hours earlier, and she wondered how their daughter had possibly gotten up and climbed over them without waking her. Emily let out a sigh and smoothly shifted herself out of Alison's grasp as she got up from the couch and headed up to Grace's bedroom, in search of her daughter. A slight panic set in when she saw that Grace was not in the bedroom, and her pyjamas were splayed out on the unmade bed. Emily headed straight to the bedroom she shared with Alison to grab her phone, hitting the speed dial for Grace's mobile instantly.

 _'Hi, this is Grace. You know what to do'_

'Grace, this is your Mother. Call me' Emily said firmly into her phone, before hanging up and groaning. She chewed on her lip as she tried to think about where Grace could have gone to at 5:30 in the morning, when realisation slapped her in the face. Emily quickly changed into a pair of sweatpants and pulled on her Sharks hoody, grabbing her sneakers as she ran down the stairs. She stopped in the living room and pulled them on one by one, before scribbling out a quick note to Alison, leaving it on the coffee table, with a mug placed over the top right-hand corner so that she would see it when she woke up. Emily grabbed her car keys and placed a soft kiss to the top of Alison's head, before running out of the door and heading to her car. Alison woke at the sound of the front door closing, followed by the slam of a car door. Panic instantly set in at the sound, as her mind was filled with the thoughts of someone coming for her. She quickly realised that Emily was gone, causing her to look around in confusion. Her eyes landed on the note on the coffee table, Emily's rounded handwriting instantly recognisable.

 _'Hey babe,_  
 _I think Grace went to the pool. I've gone to get her. Please don't worry_  
 _I love you_  
 _Em xxx'_

Alison's eyes widened slightly, though she found herself more confused than ever. Had Grace got up and left in the middle of the night? How long had she been gone? Her mind filled with anxious thoughts, as she thought about her baby girl out there all alone in the night. Alison shook her head and decided to get up and make some coffee, silently telling herself that if there was anything wrong, Emily would let her know. Alison hauled herself up from the couch, making her way across the room, before she spotted a small, white envelop on the ground. She picked it up, studying it with curious eyes as she read the addressee on the front. Seeing that it was addressed to Emily, Alison gave into her curiosity and opened it, her body freezing when she read the contents inside.

Emily pulled her car into the empty parking lot, her eyes instantly settling on the single, lonesome bike that was chained to the bike rack across the parking lot, indicating that Grace was indeed inside. Emily sighed as she got out of her car and headed towards the school building, walking around the side, to the back entrance of the pool. It was the same entrance she herself had learned to sneak into time and time again, having begged Spencer to teach her how to properly pick a lock at the age of Fifteen. Emily entered the dimly lit natatorium, the silence almost deafening as she entered the room fully. The sound of soft splashing and breathing came from the water, and Emily spotted Grace gliding through the water. She stopped herself at the end of the pool, watching silently as the teenager swam with perfect ease, her body twisting and turning with each stroke of her arms like a poetic form of ballet. It was as though she had become one with the water itself, her body having found it's one true home. Emily couldn't help but smile at the thought. It was how she had felt all those years ago, when her body was at it's fittest and she was star of the swim team. She missed the adrenaline rush of winning a meet, knowing that she was better than anyone else at the thing she loved the most. Usually she wasn't a competitive person, but when she was in the water, it was all bets off and she became a swimming machine.

'Mom?' Grace's voice brought Emily out of her trance, as the teen swam to the edge of the pool.  
'What are you doing here, Grace?' Emily asked, tilting her head to the side as she crossed her arms over her chest, looking down on the guilty looking brunette, who was now holding onto the side of the pool.  
'I couldn't sleep' Grace muttered softly, as she looked down at the tiled pool edge. Emily let out a sigh and crouched down in front of her daughter.  
'So you decided that swimming was the best way to clear your mind' the older brunette said sympathetically, and she understood it because she had found herself here in the middle of the night many times when she was a teenager. Those nights that she lie awake, thinking about Alison being gone, or worrying about what elaborate plan 'A' had schemed for them next. She understood how therapeutic it was to fly through the water and feel weightless, letting your mind shut off and in that moment, it was just you and the water.  
'I couldn't just lie there and think about it anymore' Grace stated, her eyes flashing with frustration and bottled up anger. 'All I do, night and day, is think about it, and I don't want to think anymore' she ranted, and it felt good to get it all off of her chest. She knew that bottling things up wasn't good for her, but she couldn't talk about it until now, especially not with Alison. Her other Mom was going through enough of her own issues, and Grace didn't want to add to them.

'I get that' Emily replied. 'But you can't just sneak out of the house at 5am. I can bring you here to swim, just wake me and I'll bring you, no questions asked. Ok?' Emily added with a subtle firmness, that Grace knew there was no point arguing with.  
'Ok' the teenager replied sullenly, knowing there was no point in arguing with her Mother.  
'Come on, we should get home' Emily sighed, knowing that Alison would probably be awake by now and would be worrying about them.  
'Can I just stay here a little longer?' Grace asked, as she looked up with hopeful eyes. 'I wanted to get some practice in for the meet tomorrow' she added.  
'I already told you, Grace. You don't have to swim this one' Emily stated, though she knew that the teenager would not agree to this. She had swam in every meet since she joined the swim team, and she was determined that this would be the time she would break Emily's long standing school record.  
'Except I do' Grace protested, her eyes swimming with excitement. 'There's going to be scouts there, Mom' she explained, as though Emily was missing the very valid and obvious reason that she most definitely had to swim that meet. The older brunette chuckled at her daughter, recognising the same eagerness in the teenager, that she had had once upon a time.  
'Sweetie, you're sixteen' she pointed out. 'You're not even applying for colleges yet. There's plenty of time to impress scouts' Emily stated fondly, because she was proud of Grace for deciding that she wanted to go to college, alongside Lily.

'Mom, you know as well as I do that I need to impress the best colleges early' Grace scoffed. 'I need to make sure that next year, they're here to see me, and only me, if I've got any chance of going to a good college' she informed Emily, as though her Mother had no idea about applying for colleges and the importance of getting a swim scholarship. Emily let out a soft laugh and rolled her eyes as she nodded her head in agreement.  
'Ok, fifteen minutes, and then you need to get your ass out of that pool' Emily resigned, before heading to the bleachers to take a seat. She watched as Grace swam length after length, and wondered whether her daughter had always been this naturally obsessive over her passion for swimming and wanting to succeed in college, or whether this was a recent coping mechanism. Either way, Emily was aware that she needed to ensure that Grace didn't overdo it. She didn't want the teenager to burn herself out because of the pressure she was putting herself under.

Alison sat at the kitchen table, frozen in place as her eyes remained on the offending letter that she had read, and re-read, several times. It didn't necessarily mean bad news, in fact it was actually pretty good news, but Alison had been caught off-guard by it, and was more upset about the fact that Emily hadn't told her. Her head shot up when she heard the front door close shut, and Emily and Grace appeared in the doorway to the kitchen.  
'Hey Mom' Grace greeted cautiously, because she was sure she was about to get a roasting for disappearing in the middle of the night. 'Before you get mad-'  
'Grace, could you go upstairs please? I need to talk to your Mom' Alison interrupted with a low voice, and Grace's eyes widened at the tone, because it was the same tone that the blonde woman would use when she was seriously pissed and trying not to shout at her when she was being a brat.  
'Good luck' Grace mumbled to Emily, before belting out of the room, not wanting to get caught in the middle of whatever was about to take place between her Moms.  
'Everything ok?' Emily asked in her best attempt at a cheerful voice, though admittedly it fell far short from being as upbeat as she'd hoped.  
'What's this?' Alison asked, as she picked up the letter and held it out to Emily, who's face drained at the sight of it.  
'It's nothing' she replied quickly, before attempting to snatch the letter from Alison's hand, but her wife was too quick for her and had it moved before Emily could wrap her fingers around the single piece of white paper.

 _'Ali, it's nothing'_  
 _'It's not nothing, Emily' Alison replied sternly, her frustration mounting due to her heightened hormones. 'You got a job offer, that's not nothing! When were you going to tell me?' She asked, her voice raising with every word, as one of her hands remained on her heavily pregnant stomach, while Emily leaned over the back of the dining room chair, the wooden back piece digging into the palms of her hands as her shoulders slumped forwards._  
 _'Were you going to tell me before or after you left for fucking Arizona!?' Alison screamed, her face reddening with anger._  
 _'I didn't tell you, because it didn't matter' Emily replied firmly, trying desperately to keep her voice down, because there was no way she was about to shout at her heavily pregnant girlfriend. Alison's eyes widened almost hysterically at Emily's words._  
 _'Of course it matters, Emily!' She scoffed. 'You've been offered a job across the fucking country! I think that's something we need to talk about!' She continued her rant, and Emily could feel her own frustration building up inside of her, because she didn't want this job. It was something she had applied for on a whim, at a point where she was feeling that she should be providing more for the family she was about to have. She had never expected to get an interview, let alone a job offer._

 _'We don't need to talk about it, Ali, because I'm not taking the job' Emily explained in a firm, but relatively calm voice. Alison's neck almost snapped at these words, as she lifted her head so fast to look at Emily as though she were the biggest idiot on the planet._  
 _'What do you mean, you're not taking the job?' She asked incredulously. 'It's an amazing opportunity, of course you're taking the job!' Alison let out a single, humourless chuckle at this thought, because who turned down the opportunity to work at a great university, coaching a great swim team, for a brilliant wage and even better benefits!?_  
 _'No, I'm not' Emily argued, as she finally lifted her head to look into Alison's eyes._  
 _'Why not?' The other asked, her voice now much lower than it had been previously. Now she was more curious, because Emily had clearly wanted this at some point, or she wouldn't have applied for the job in the first place._  
 _'Because I already have a job, I don't need another' the brunette replied simply, as though her job as coach at the high school even compared to coaching a team of potential pro athletes in one of the top college swim teams in the country._

 _'But, Em...it's a great opportunity' Alison pointed out, her head tilting to the side as she rubbed her hand comfortingly on her swollen stomach. 'Why would you just turn this down?'_  
 _'Because of you, Ali!' Emily replied through frustration, because she was done with this conversation. She knew how much of an amazing opportunity it was and she was thrilled to have been offered it, and Emily was sure that if she were in a different situation, then she would drop everything to take it. However, things weren't so simple anymore. She didn't only have herself to consider in this decision._  
 _'You're turning this down because of me?' Alison asked dubiously, because she was sure that Emily knew that she would follow her to the ends of the Earth if she asked her to._  
 _'Yes, because of you, and because of our babies' Emily added, her eyes lighting up as she thought about the two beautiful babes that were growing inside of Alison's stomach. 'We're about to start a family together, Ali. There's no way in hell I could walk away from that now' Emily said in a bittersweet tone, because she really would have loved to take this job, but not at the risk of losing Alison and their babies._

 _'Who said anything about walking away from me?' Alison asked in shock, upset that this thought was even a possibility in Emily's mind, because it hasn't crossed her own mind for a second. 'So, you wouldn't want me to come with you?' She asked, the hurt evident in her voice, and clear in her eyes, and it pained Emily to see it._  
 _'No, Ali, that's not what I said' Emily panicked, wanting to make things right, because seeing Alison upset was the worst thing in the world._  
 _'Maybe not, but you didn't way you wanted me there either' Alison stated pointedly, her eyes brimming with tears at the thought of Emily not wanting her. 'You didn't ask me if I wanted to come with you, you just said about leaving me behind.' By now, Alison's emotions, mixed with her pregnancy hormones, were throwing her towards a full-on melt down, and Emily felt like a deer caught in the headlights, because she didn't know what to do in this situation._  
 _'Is that what you want, Em? To leave me behind?' Alison asked, her voice wavering with unshed tears. 'No, Ali...'_  
 _'Because you can leave if you want. We're not stopping you' she spat coldly, taking Emily aback with the sudden anger that she was met with._

 _'What!? Ali, of course I don't want to leave you!' Emily half shouted over Alison's ranting, stopping the woman in her tracks, because Emily rarely raised her voice. The brunette's eyes softened as Alison's anger dissipated, and left the blonde looking sad and vulnerable as she stood clutching her heavily pregnant stomach. Emily moved closer to her, placing her hand softly on Alison's, as it rested against the side of her bump._  
 _'That's why I'm not taking this job' Emily continued in a softer, calmer voice, and Alison felt it soothing her as she tried to get her emotions under control. 'And the reason I didn't ask you to move to Arizona, is because I don't want to move there' Emily added with a small smile, as realisation dawned upon Alison's features. 'Babe, we're about to start a family together. You're the size of a house and our babies are due any day now. There's no way I'm putting more stress on us by moving across the country.' Emily finished, her smile beaming as Alison smiled back with happy tears._  
 _'So you're not leaving me?' The blonde woman asked in the most delicate of voices._  
 _'No' Emily chuckled. 'And I can't believe that you'd think for a second that I would. Look at what we've been through to get here. I waited so long for this, and now I have you, our babies are on their way, and our life is perfect. I'm not walking away from that for anything' the brunette finished, her heart swelling with the love she felt for Alison, and their babies. It was that love that she felt, that told her she was making the right decision for them to stick around in Rosewood a little longer._

'Emily, we've been here before. Don't lie to me' Alison warned, her eyebrow raised demandingly as she held the letter gingerly between her fingers.  
'Ok, so it's something' Emily resigned, knowing that Alison wasn't going to drop this. 'But it doesn't have to be something. It can be nothing' she rambled quickly, blurting the words out so they mashed together.  
'Emily...' Alison sighed heavily, because she just wanted Emily to just be honest with her this time.  
'What?'  
'This isn't the University of Arizona we're talking about here, this is Stanford' The blonde emphasized. This wasn't some random ass college in the middle of nowhere, this was a serious job offer that she wanted her wife to stop and think about. Alison was aware that she had let Emily turn down a job offer for her before, she wasn't about to let the brunette do the same again. Not without thinking about it first.  
'Yeah, which is the other side of the country, Ali' Emily argued, knowing that moving wasn't a possibility right now, and there was no way in hell she was leaving her family behind for a job offer.

'But it's also your dream job' Alison countered, her head tilting to the side. She wanted Emily to have everything in life, and the brunette had already given so much up for the sake of their family. While Alison had been promoted to Head of Department, and then Vice Principle last year, Emily had remained in the same role and had turned down the few job opportunities that came her way, in order to keep some form of normality in their household.  
'But it's not my dream. My dream was to finally get you to be mine and for us to have a wonderful life together, and we have that. I don't need Stanford' Emily stated firmly, because it was the truth. Sure, Stanford had been a dream of hers at one point, but ultimately, all she had ever wanted in life was Alison, and she has that. She's had Alison for Seventeen blissful years now, and she wouldn't change anything about their lives together.  
'You can't just turn your back on this opportunity, babe' Alison tried to reason with her Wife, because she really wanted Emily to take this job offer and run with it. She wanted to see her Wife excel in everything she had dreamed of, and to see her truly happy in a position that she was worthy of, because even Alison could see that a High School swim team was beneath the brunette.  
'I mean, you applied for a reason, right?' She added, hoping that she was speaking some sense to the other woman.  
'That's the thing, I didn't apply for this.' Emily confessed in a small voice, because even she was confused about where this job offer had come from 'I just got the call last week, and then that letter came in the mail yesterday, but I told them already that I'm not interested'

'So, if you didn't apply, then where did the offer come from?' Alison asked, her brow furrowing deeper as Emily explained about the job offer. The blonde had been pissed that her Wife would apply for a job so far away without consulting her first, but this changed things for Alison, and with everything that had gone on with the girls and Aaron, she began to worry that this was related.  
'I don't know, and I don't care, because I don't want the job' Emily replied bluntly, as though it were no big deal.  
'Seriously? You're going to turn down Stanford?' Alison couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was sure that Emily would want this.  
'Yes'  
'But, why? I don't understand' The blonde pressed, because she still wasn't sure why Emily was so against this job.  
'I already told you, I don't need it.' Emily replied through an exasperated sigh. 'I'm happy with the life we have here. We raised our family here, our kid's friends are here, my Mom is here... what do we have in Stanford?' She asked as she moved closer, her hand coming up to cup Alison's cheek softly, while she found herself getting lost in icy, blue orbs. Emily could understand why Alson was pushing her about this job, she would be doing exactly the same thing if the roles were reversed, but she needed to reassure her Wife that she was sure about this decision.

Alison fell silent at the sudden closeness between them. It amazed her that, even after Seventeen years together, Emily was still able to take her breath away like she had all those years ago.  
'You're sure about this?' Alison finally asked, her voice soft and velvety as she melted beneath her Wife's touch.  
'Positive' Emily replied just as softly, their eyes never leaving each other's as they had silent conversations and searched for any confliction or uneasiness about their conversation.  
'Ok' Alison breathed, when she was sure that she saw nothing in Emily's eyes that signified anything other than what the brunette was saying to her. Emily's lips curved up into the smallest of smiles as Alison leaned in to place a quick peck on their lips.

Eyes remained trained on the blonde woman as a black, hooded figure entered the bedroom. Heavy feet crossed the room with ease and certainty, drawing closer to the bed that Alison slept in. Blue eyes shot open, as two gloved hands wrapped tightly around her neck, and the woman scrambled to try to get free as she gasped for breath.  
'Emily' she gasped out, as she side eyed the sleeping woman beside her, but her words were faint and the other person's fingers were gripping tighter by the second.  
'Emily' Alison managed to choke a little louder, as she desperately clawed at the strong fingers. Her vision began to blur, and the already dark room, darkened more.  
'Em' she wheezed as tears began to spill from her eyes. She was sure that this was how she would die.

Alison bolted upright, her heart pounding as she gasped for breath. Hot tears ran down her face, as she looked around the room.  
'Ali?' Emily sat up, her eyes barely open having being woken abruptly by Alison's thrashing around beside her.  
'Ali, what's wrong?' Emily asked in concern as she spotted the tears falling thick and fast down her Wife's face, and the way that Alison rubbed her hands along her neck.  
'Nothing...it's nothing' The blonde replied, shaking her head as she looked down at the bed. She knew that it was just a dream, and she didn't want to worry her wife with this.  
'Babe, it's not nothing, you're shaking like a leaf' Emily said pointedly. 'Was it another nightmare?'  
'Yeah' Alison breathed, in the saddest, most defeated voice Emily had ever heard from the woman she loved, and she instantly pulled the blonde into her and held her tight.  
'I'm sorry' Alison cried, as she wiped away the fresh tears that sprung from her eyes.  
'For what?' Emily asked in confusion, her eyes narrowing as she tried to work out what Alison could possibly be sorry for.

'For our lives being this crazy' Alison replied sadly. 'Maybe if I'd been a better person all those years ago, A would never have existed' she added, speaking the words that she had honestly thought for years. Emily had told her time and time again, as had the other women, that this was not her fault, but still Alison couldn't believe anything but. She was convinced that she had caused her family, and Hanna, Spencer and Aria's families, nothing but endless trouble.  
'Ali, we went through this years ago' Emily sighed. 'None of this is your fault, and I don't want to hear you blaming yourself. 'A' exists because of Mona.' She stated firmly, biting her inner cheek a little, because though Mona had been the one to initially start the whole thing, she wasn't solely to blame. 'I mean, I know she got better, and she's been a great friend to Hanna over the years, but she still started all of this' Emily added, feeling a little guilty for initially having blamed everything on Mona.  
'What if something happens to the girls? Or Jude?' Alison asked warily, Emily's words having had no effect on her fears, because that was what she was truly worried about. Sure, the nightmares she was having lately mainly featured someone wanting to hurt her rather than the children, but the only reason they scared her so much was because she knew that if something happened to her, she wouldn't be there to protect Emily and their children.  
'Babe, look at me' Emily requested with a soft, but firm voice. 'Nothing is going to happen, ok? Aaron was bitter and hurt, and he did those things because he was upset about Grace breaking up with him, but he's gone now and we're safe.' She assured, as she brushed her thumb up and down along Alison's forearm, trying her best to comfort the blonde woman.  
'We will get through this, all of us' Emily breathed, though she wasn't sure if she was saying it to ease Alison, or herself.

Emily held Alison close for the rest of the night, though neither woman got much sleep. Alison spent the night staring at the wall, while Emily curled into her from behind and chewed at her lip as she worried about how her Wife had been affected by the current events. She wished that there was something she could do to help her, but she knew that the blonde wasn't going to go to therapy willingly, and pushing her into it wouldn't help. Then there was Grace, who was struggling just as much as Alison, if not more. The teenager was barely sleeping, barely eating and was throwing herself into swimming, in a way that worried Emily more than anything. Still, much like she was feeling with Alison, Emily wasn't sure what she could do to help Grace.

Emily ended up staying awake all night thinking about Alison and Grace, and her mind didn't stop whirring throughout the day either. She was barely focused during the practice that morning, and the day seemed to pass by in a blur, until finally it was time for the meet. Grace was feeling pumped up and was ready to go, having pushed all the crap from the past few weeks to the back of her mind. This was her shot, her chance to impress the scouts that had come to see her older team mates, but she wanted to make sure that it was her name that was on their minds for next year. The cheering of the crowd buzzed in her ears as she focused on the water, while she stretched her arms across her body before shaking them loosely beside her.  
'You ok, Grace?' Came a voice from behind her, causing the brunette to turn around to see one of her team mates standing there.  
'Uh, yeah. Just a little nervous' she replied with a small smile. She wasn't about to tell anyone that she felt as though her head was going to burst, how she couldn't sleep so she was exhausted, and she couldn't eat so she lacked energy and was so hungry, she felt sick. She wasn't going to tell anyone that her brain hadn't stopped for over two weeks, and her mind kept playing tricks on her, because she saw Aaron everywhere she went, even though she knew he was dead.  
'You're going to do great' the pale, brunette girl said confidently as her smile beamed across her face.  
'Thanks' Grace replied, before turning away to focus on the water again. She watched as the water rippled gently and the sun shone through the small window of the natatorium, bouncing off the water to make glittering beams dance across the ceiling. It was calm and serene, and it was Grace's safe haven. Some people had meditation, others had yoga, Grace had this. The calm before the storm of a big swim meet. That moment in time where it was just her and the water, ready to meet like old friends. She lived for the moment that she was enveloped in the water, it was her very own zen garden. The one thing she had, that could momentarily take away the pain and the hurt that she was feeling right now.

'Ok, Grace' Emily's voice came from behind as the older woman's hand squeezed her shoulder gently. 'You ready?'  
'Yeah' Grace breathed, as she turned from the pool to face her Mother, slipping her Sharks hoody from her shoulders as she walked to the bench where her team mates sat eagerly. She watched as the first group of girls lined up, ready to dive into the pool, and while her team mates cheered on the swimmers, Grace sat quietly, getting herself in the zone. It wasn't long though before she was being nudged by the girl beside her, signalling her that it was her turn to swim, and suddenly her nerves hit her like a wall. She stood on jellied legs, her stomach churning and the feeling of exhaustion overwhelming her as she made her way to the starting block.  
'You've got this, Gracie' Emily's voice came from behind her, but Grace didn't turn to acknowledge her Mother. She got into her starting position and blocked out the sounds of the cheering of the crowds, and the shouts of encouragement from the rest of the swim team, as she focused on the water in front of her. The sound of a bang rang through her ears, and Grace pushed back the sudden fear she felt from the sound as she launched herself forward into the pool. The water instantly eased the anxiety she felt, as she glided freely. She momentarily forgot that she was competing and allowed herself to enjoy the blissful feeling of the water surrounding her entirely. The sudden coolness and the feeling of the chlorine on her skin, gave her the same feeling that most people felt when they put on freshly washed Pyjamas.

It felt like seconds before she was reaching the opposite wall of the pool, and her body acted naturally as she flipped in the water and pushed herself off back in the direction she had just came from. She had no idea what position she was in, and if she was honest she wasn't entirely sure that she even cared about the race. The only thing she cared about in this moment was the fact that she wasn't feeling that dull ache in her heart that she had been feeling for the past few weeks. She didn't feel as though she was going to hurl at any given moment, and for the first time in two long weeks, she felt a sense of happiness, and she didn't want that to end. It ended far sooner than she was prepared for however, because it felt like she had only reached the pool's edge a mere second ago, and she was already being yanked out of the pool by her cheering teammates. She looked around her, clueless as to what had just happened.  
'You did it!'  
'Oh my god, Grace! That was...that was incredible!'  
'So fucking awesome'

Emily stood to the side, watching on as the team swarmed Grace. She had never felt prouder of her daughter, than she did in that moment. She looked up to the bleachers to see that Lily, Ava and Sawyer were stood on their feet, cheering and screaming, while Alison remained seated, discreetly wiping away a tear. Emily couldn't help but smile at the sight of her Wife trying to hide her tears, because something really hadn't changed at all over the years. Alison still refused to be seen crying in public. In fact, the only person she would freely cry in front of was Emily.  
'I can't believe she actually broke Mom's record' Lily said, with a beaming smile.  
'Right? She was like a possessed woman in that pool' Sawyer remarked, impressed with the performance that Grace had put on.  
'Yeah, for a second I didn't think she was going to stop!' Ava joined in.  
'C'mon, let's go see her' Sawyer suggested, before filing out of the narrow stands and heading down the steps towards Grace.

Grace finally had a second to breathe, her team mates being distracted by their own families. She took the moment to take a look around, her eyes finally focusing on the large, black board that sat at the end of the Natatorium. She couldn't help but smile when she saw the gold lettering spelling out _'Emily Fields – 200M Freestyle – 1.38.87 (2009)'_. She had spent the majority of her life looking up at this board, dreaming of the day that her name would be up there with her Moms, and while she had teased endlessly about breaking that record, she never actually thought she would do it. She didn't think she'd see her name in that same gold lettering, spelling out _'Grace DiLaurentis-Fields – 200M Freestyle – 1.38.79 (2034)'._

Grace felt a hand tap her shoulder, causing her to spin on the spot, finding herself face to face with a much older, brunette woman in a dark grey suit.  
'Hi' the woman greeted, a bright smile spread across her face as she extended her hand out.  
'It's Grace, right?'  
'Uh...yeah?' The teenager replied, her brow furrowed as she shook the strange woman's hand, before dropping it quickly as though she had been burned.  
'My name's Paige McCullers' she introduced herself, her smile never faltering, as she dropped her hand back to her side, her other hand wrapped around a plain, black clipboard.  
'I'm a talent scout for Stanford University. I know that you've got a while until you graduate, but I just thought you should know that we'd be very interested in having you on the team when the time comes' Paige explained, and Grace couldn't believe the words she was hearing. Stanford, the school she and her Mom had both dreamed of going to, wanted her, and she wasn't even a senior yet.  
'You're fucking kidding me' she spat in shock, before catching herself, though she didn't miss the look of amusement on Paige's face. 'I mean, uh...are you sure?'

Paige couldn't help but smile at the young teen, who looked unmistakably so much like one of her Mother's, yet clearly had the mannerisms of the other.  
'I'm not kidding' she confirmed, dropping her smile and holding herself with a much more composed, professional manner. 'You've got a lot of talent, we'd be fools not to snatch you up before other colleges get in there. I think, if you can keep your grades up and keep up with the impressive times you're already performing with, we could probably offer you early admission' The older brunette explained, causing Grace's eyes to widen at the information she was being given. Early admission would mean that she could be at college within the next year.  
'Early admission to Stanford?' Grace repeated. 'My Mom is going to freak when she hears this' she chuckled, causing Paige to smirk, because she knew that the teenager was right. Emily would be beyond thrilled to hear about this, or rather, the Emily that Paige had known decades ago would, anyway.

Across the pool, Emily's eyes scanned the still crowded room, looking for sight of her daughter. She wanted to see if the teenager was alone now, so that she could offer her congratulations, but her eyes widened when she saw the more than familiar face of her ex-girlfriend talking to Grace. Emily's eyes instantly flicked up towards where she knew Alison was sitting in the stands, and she felt her blood drain when she saw that the blonde's eyes were also trained on Paige and Grace. It had been years since Alison and Paige last saw each other, and Emily knew that her Wife had mellowed significantly with age, but she wasn't sure how Alison would react to the sight of her ex-girlfriend. She watched as Alison stood and began to make her way down the steps, and Emily felt her body kick into motion as she began to weave between excited teenagers and their friends and families, her eyes focused on her wife, who was nearing closer to Paige and Grace by the second.  
'Coach DiLaurentis-Fields? Can we get a picture of the team together?' Came the voice of one of the Juniors on the team.  
'Uh, yeah sure Lacey' Emily replied, stopping in her track so as not to seem rude, though her eyes remained on Alison, who was now only steps away from Paige. 'Just, give me a second, ok?' she added, flashing a smile to the blonde teenager, before shooting back off in the direction of her Wife and Daughter.

'Paige?'  
Grace's eyebrows shot up, as she saw Paige physically stiffen at the sound of her Mother's voice. The brunette women turned slowly, bracing herself to come face to face with an older, more matured, Alison DiLaurentis.  
'Alison! What a pleasant surprise' Paige greeted the blonde, a fake smile plastered across her face, to match Alison's.  
'It's good to see you. What are you doing here?' Alison asked in a polite, but short tone. Sure, she didn't feel the same animosity towards Paige that she had felt back in High School, and she knew she owed the brunette for pushing her towards Emily all those years ago, but a part of her still held a severe dislike for the woman. Grace watched from the side, as the two women stood, momentarily trying to size the other up, and she couldn't help but wonder how this 'Paige' woman knew her Mom, and why she seemed so suddenly on edge by her, or why her Mom was clearly trying to hold back her 'bitch' face. Whatever the reason, the teenager was curious to see how this would play out, so she stood back in silence and watched.

'I came to scout for college swim teams' Paige began to explain, after taking a moment to glance Alison up and down. She couldn't deny, the years had been good to the blonde, and she wondered whether that had something t do with Emily. She was sure that years of loving the brunette woman she had let go time and time again, would do nothing but wonders to a person. 'I think Grace would be a great match for Stanford when the time comes' she added matter-of-factly, trying her best to keep her words professional and curt, even though a part of her wanted to run far from Alison and never look back. She silently chastised herself, wondering what the heck she was even thinking, approaching the young DiLaurentis-Fields girl, knowing that Alison and Emily would be there.  
'Is that so?' Alison asked, her eyebrow raising as her arms crossed over her chest, though she couldn't help but feel proud of the fact that her daughter was already being approached by colleges, even if Paige was the one to be doing the approaching.  
'Definitely. It seems she inherited her Mother's natural ability' Paige bit, causing Alison's eyes to flash dangerously at the mention of Emily.

'Paige?' The brunette in mention called, as she finally made her way through the crowd of teenagers and their families.  
'Emily' Paige replied in shock, her eyes widening at the sound of her former girlfriend's ice, and Alison didn't miss the way her eyes lit up a little in that instant.  
'Hey babe' Alison greeted Emily, instantly settling by her side and wrapping her arm protectively around the brunette, as she placed a sickeningly sweet smile upon her face. 'Paige and I were just talking. She thinks that Grace would be a good fit for a college swim team' she began to explain to her wife, who Alison knew could see straight through her.  
'Stanford, particularly' she added with a toothy grin, causing Emily's mouth to drop open ever so slightly.  
'Stanford?' She repeated in a questioning tone, as she looked from Alison to Paige, while Grace continued to stand back and observe the strangeness of this situation with a mixture of confusion and amusement.  
'You don't agree?' Paige asked in a tone that was both curious, and knowing.  
'No, I do. She'd be a great fit at Stanford' Emily said quickly, half mumbling her words as they fell from her mouth. She was about to start spouting Grace's times, when Lily appeared with Ava and Sawyer.  
'Grace!' the teenager cheered as she flung her arms around her sisters shoulders from behind. 'Way to swim girl'  
'You were like a freaking fish out there' Ava agreed, her smile matching Lily's, as she settled herself beside Grace. Neither of the teenagers noticed the strange, brunette woman standing just feet away from them, but Paige certainly noticed them. She couldn't help but look at the identical girls, and notice how much they looked like Emily. The last time she had seen the two girls in front of her, they were a little over two years old, but even then, Paige thought the resemblance to Emily was uncanny.

 _'Grace, please calm down' Emily begged the toddler, who was screaming bloody murder, while her sister sat calmly beside her in the stroller._  
 _'I want Mommy!' Grace cried, her little chubby cheeks growing redder by the second as hot, angry tears spilled down her face._  
 _'Mommy will be back in a second' Emily tried to explain softly, as she crouched down in front if her daughter, who had quite literally lost her shit the second Alison had stepped foot inside the grocery store._  
 _'Want Mommy now!' the tiny brunette continued to scream, and Emily couldn't help but glance to the grocery store window and hope that Alison hurried, before unbundling Grace from the stroller and lifting her out._  
 _'How about a hug from Momma while we wait?' she suggested, as she pulled Grace into a firm cuddle, the small brunette calming quickly in her arms, before settling down as she snuggled in deep._

 _'Wow, you've definitely got a magic touch'_  
 _The voice made Emily spin on the spot, jostling Grace a little as she moved so quickly, though the toddler didn't seem too bothered by the sudden motion._  
 _'Paige?' Emily half questioned, her brow furrowing questioningly. 'What are you doing here?' she asked, a small smile growing across her face._  
 _'My Grandma passed away. I'm back for her funeral' Paige explained, her eyes flitting from Emily, to the toddler in her arms, and the other, who was sucking on her fingers in the stroller. There was no mistake about who these children belonged to, Paige was just shocked there were two of them._  
 _'I'm sorry to hear that'_  
 _'You had twins'_  
 _The two women chuckled as they spoke at the same time, both waiting for the other to talk, before finally Emily took control of the conversation._  
 _'Yeah. We were blessed twice, weren't we Gracie' she cooed to the toddler on her hip, tickling her chest as she spoke and causing Grace to giggle and squirm. Paige couldn't help but smile at the scene in front of her. It was one she pictured sharing with the brunette, one where they shared those children together and got to play happy families. One where Alison DiLaurentis was out of the picture all together. Instead, she was looking at the future she had helped to create for Emily. One where she was raising tiny, brunette mini-Emilys with the blonde woman she had loved since childhood, and Paige would be lying if she said that didn't hurt._  
 _'I always knew you'd be a great Mom' Paige said simply, feeling a lump swell in her throat, as she looked beyond Emily to the door of the grocery store, where Alison was now exiting. An excited Grace held her arms out, her tiny fingers stretching out in the direction of her other Mother._  
 _'I'll see you around' Paige said, as Emily went to open her mouth to talk back. Before the tanned brunette could say another word, Paige gave another small, tight lipped smiled, and headed along the sidewalk, leaving Emily speechless and confused._  
 _'Was that Paige?' Alison asked, as she watched the woman walk away._  
 _'Yeah' Emily replied, her brow furrowing as she too watched Paige walk away from them._  
 _'Mommy' Grace whined, as her little stretched arms, begging to be here by her Mom, were ignored. Alison looked away from the woman in the distance, a smile plastering across her face as she handed Emily the plastic bags filled with food, and took Grace from her arms._

'Uh, Grace, could you round up the team and organise a group picture' Emily asked, turning to her daughter with a smile. She wanted a chance to talk to Paige, and she knew she couldn't do that with the girls there. 'Lacey was asking for one. Lily and Ava can help you round everyone up' she added, looking to the other two teenagers, who were stood beside Grace.  
'Ok' the brunette sighed, as she grabbed Lily and Ava, and headed away from the three adults.  
'What was that about? And who's the woman' Lily asked, her eyebrow cocked as Grace let her arm go and she followed at her own pace.  
'She's a scout from Stanford, but Moms acted super fucking strange when they saw her'

'It's crazy. They look so much like you, Emily' Paige commented, as her eyes followed the teenagers who were walking away from them.  
'They do' Alison agreed, a small smile gracing her mouth at the thought of her beautiful girls looking like her beautiful wife.  
'Paige, I have to ask' Emily changed the subject, wanting to get to the bottom of why they were having this conversation. 'You work at Stanford...' She trailed off, not really knowing how to ask the question she was about to ask.  
'I do' the other brunette confirmed, her eyebrow raised expectantly, as she waited for Emily to continue what she clearly wanted to say. Emily wrung her fingers and looked down at her hands, Alison remaining silently beside her. She knew it wasn't for her to talk for her Wife, even though she knew what was going through Emily's head, because it was the same conclusion she herself had come to.  
'It's just strange, because I recently got a job offer for a coaching position there' Emily finally said, looking up through her eyelashes, at the woman she had tried to love, once upon a time.  
'I know. I recommended you for the position.' Paige admitted through a deep breath, her eyes flitting to Alison, who's jaw seemed to tighten ever so slightly. 'You should take it, you'd be great' she added, as she cast her eyes back on Emily, who looked more confused than ever.  
'Why?'  
'Why would you be great there?' Paige asked, in a tone that was both questioning and amused, because there was no-one else that could possibly do this job the way Emily could.  
'No, why did you recommend me?' Emily asked, growing frustrated, because she just wanted the truth. 'I mean, I haven't spoken since you came back for your Grandma's funeral, and even then it was briefly. Why would you suddenly recommend me for a coaching position after 15 years of not talking?'

Paige sighed at Emily's words, because really she hadn't intended on having this whole pow-wow with her ex. She just wanted to offer Emily the chance at taking the job, and when she saw how good of a swimmer Grace was, she figured that the offer of a scholarship for the teen, would push Emily into taking the position of coach.  
'I've worked at Stanford for almost ten years now' she began to explain, her arms hanging limp by her sides, as if she had no energy in her to fight anymore. 'I put my heart and soul into the swim team, and honestly, I'm devastated to leave it. I wanted to find someone who I knew would take care of that team the way I would. Nobody else came to mind' Paige's voice was warm and filled with nothing but admiration. It was the way that Paige used to talk to her back in High School, when they were a couple, and while it used to make Emily's stomach flutter, now it just made her feel uncomfortable.  
'Well, thank you but I can't take it' She replied firmly, as she chewed her lip anxiously and avoided Paige's gaze. If there were any reason to not take this job, it was the fact that her ex-girlfriend was practically offering it to her on a platter, atleast in Emily's mind.  
'What? But it's your dream job!' Paige protested, her voice raising a little in shock, because she was sure that Emily would jump at this chance.  
'That's what I said' Alison piped up, crossing her arms over her chest as she pouted, because she had already said this same exact thing a few days ago. Emily's eyebrows shot up as she looked from Paige to Alison, and back again, more than a little surprised that they were actually agreeing on something. 'That's not the point' she replied in a firm voice, before directing her words to Paige. 'My life has changed a lot, Paige. I don't just have myself to think about anymore. I have Ali and three kids to think about. I can't just go out on a whim and take a job in another state' she argued, and Paige could honestly see her point. She hadn't considered the fact that Emily now had a family to think about. Shew as about to open her mouth to apologise, when Alison jumped in.

'Except you can, you just wont' the blonde argued, rolling her eyes at Emily. She knew why her Wife was turning the job down, she got it, but she wanted the other woman to have this. It was her dream, and regardless to where it came from, it would be an amazing opportunity.  
'Ali, come on. We talked about this' Emily replied, as she turned to the blonde. She didn't want to argue in front of Paige, and she knew that was exactly where this was about to lead. Alison however, seemed to have other ideas.  
'No, you talked' she pointed out, her voice stern and commanding. 'You were stubborn and dug your heels in, and I just gave in because it was easier than argue with you, but honestly, I think you should take this job' she confessed, her hands waving almost frantically by her side, while Paige stood back with wide eyes, watching the situation she had unintentionally caused. Alison took a breath and calmed herself before continuing, taking Emily's hand loosely between her own.  
'Sure, it'll take some time to find the kids new schools, but we can-'  
'We can talk about this another time' Emily interrupted, pulling her hand from Alison's grip as she side-eyed Paige, silently indicating to her wife that she didn't want to have this conversation in front of their present company. Alison swallowed hard, knowing that she had pissed Emily off, and nodded with a soft 'ok'.  
'Hey, don't stop on my account' Paige chuckled awkwardly, in an attempt to lighten the suddenly tense atmosphere that had settled over them. 'Look, just think about it. You've got some time to make a decision' she added in a serious tone.  
'Ok, I'll think about it' Emily replied, nodding her head softly, and she would think about it, but she didn't see her decision changing.

'Mom, I'm hungry' Jude whined as he made his way over to the group of women, his shoulder's slumped. The three women turned to face the young boy, Paige's eyes lighting up at the boy, that again resembled Emily so much, and it warmed her heart to see.  
'Ok Jude, let's go find the girls and see where they're at' Alison sighed as she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, before turning to Emily. 'You coming, Em?'  
'Uh, just give me a second?' The brunette replied with a tight-lipped smile. Alison hesitated, her eyes searching Emily's for any sign that her Wife was still pissed, but when she saw nothing but love and warmth reflected back, she instantly settled.  
'Ok' she replied, before leaning in to peck Emily on the lips. 'Bye Paige' she said to the other brunette, giving her a quick smile, before leading Jude away in search of Lily and Grace.

Paige watched how natural Alison seemed to be with her children, and how comfortable she was with Emily, and she would be lying if she said that it didn't make her happy to see it.  
'If you'd have asked me twenty years ago, if I'd ever be happy to see you and Alison together, I'd have probably slapped you for it' she chuckled, her eyes still cast on the retreating blonde. 'But, seeing how happy you guys are...it's good to see. I'm glad you're happy'  
she admitted as she looked back to Emily, who was now blushing furiously, because even after all these years, Alison still made her feel like the happiest, luckiest woman in the world, and the fact that Paige of all people, could see that, made Emily want to shout from the rooftops.  
'I am happy' she agreed, as she tried to contain her smile from overtaking her face. 'Are you?'  
'I am' Paige replied, her smile matching Emily's, though it didn't quite reach her eyes the way Emily's did.  
'Good'  
'Good'  
Emily laughed at the semi-awkward conversation, causing Paige to join in too, and for a brief moment, it felt like old times, for Paige at least. While a part of Emily wished that they could still be friends, she knew that it wasn't possible, and she could see that look in Paige's eyes, the longing that she had had that day Emily had told her that Alison was having her child. That understanding, but heartbreakingly needy look that Paige had perfected a little more with each and every time she had let Emily go.  
'So, why are you leaving Stanford?' Emily asked, as she cleared her throat. The situation was quickly growing too familiar, and it was making Emily uncomfortable.  
'Well, I got a job offer to train a 16 year old girl for the Olympics' Paige replied, as she took a subtle step backwards, knowing exactly why Emily had changed the conversation, because she too was feeling that connection that had always lingered between them, even though Emily's heart truly belonged to Alison.  
'Wow, that's awesome, Paige' Emily stated, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise, not that she didn't think Paige was worthy of a job of that calibre.

'Yeah, it's pretty great. The only downside is that the job is in London' Paige said with a dark chuckle, her head tilted to the side slightly as she spoke.  
'London, as in England?' Emily asked, her eyes widening slightly at the prospect of having to take a job across the other side of the world, and here she was wanting to turn down a job on because of moving across country.  
'Yup'  
'But, what about your...kids? Wife?' Emily hinted, wondering what, and who, Paige had in her life now.  
'Nope and nope' Paige replied, chuckling at Emily's lack of tact and subtleness. 'I have a girlfriend, her name's Rebecca and she's great. She's actually coming with me. We've been together for nine years now, but we don't have any kids' she explained with a smile.  
'Really? Well, it's not too late...' Emily trailed off, feeling sad for Paige that she never had a family with someone she loved, because she herself, couldn't imagine the life she and Alison would have without their children. Their kids had made their life all that much more complete, and she wouldn't give them up for the world.  
'Nah, I never really fancied myself as a Mom anyway' Paige replied, before looking over to Alison, who was looking back over at them. she was stood with Jude, Lily and a now dressed Grace, who was chatting animatedly with Sawyer. Beside them was Hanna Ava, another Mother/Daughter combo, who Paige noted looked practically identical.  
'You should probably go' Paige said softly, the realisation that those people were Emily's family, hitting her like a brick to the face.  
'Yeah' Emily agreed, as she too looked over to her Wife, who smiled at her from afar, before turning to say something to Hanna.  
'By the way, your kid kicks ass. She's going to be a great addition to Stanford' Paige said genuinely, as she turned to Emily with a smile. 'You should really think about joining her there'  
'I will' Emily promised. 'Thank you' she said softly, as she pulled Paige in for a hug, before walking away.

'Everything ok?' Alison asked, as Emily joined them, taking her wife's hand in her won.  
'Yeah, we were just talking' Emily replied with a smile, as she pulled Alison's hand up to her mouth, placing a soft peck below her knuckles. Alison raised a challenging eyebrow, a smirk gracing her lips.  
'You going to take the job?' She asked knowingly, causing Emily's mouth to drop slightly.  
'Maybe...I'm not sure yet' she replied defensively, as she dropped Alison's hand between them.  
'Mhmm' Alison hummed, unconvinced with Emily's response, because she knew that her Wife was dying to take this job offer.

Paige watched from the distance as the family talked and laughed She watched as the younger boy in the group punched one of the twins, Paige wasn't sure which, in the arm and Alison scolds the teenage girl for slapping the kid in the back of the head. The other twin stood hand in hand with Hanna's daughter. She notes how united they are, as one big happy family, and she couldn't help but feel proud of Alison that she was able to finally open up to her feelings for Emily, and love her the way that Emily deserves to be loved.

* * *

 **So, I was anxious about posting this, because I know that alot of Emison fans severely dislike Paige, but hear me out. She was not included in this chapter to cause conflict between Emily and Alison. Quite the opposite actually. I initially included her because I'm a bit of a sadist and was like, 'what would happen if Paige accidentally offered Grace a swimming scholarship without knowing who she was!?' but then that idea grew and evolved, and I actually quite like where it went. We got to see that Paige finally accepts Emily's relationship with Alison, even if a part of her does still want Emily, but that she is happy. She has a great job, a girlfriend she loves and she's settled. Emily too is happy with Alison and their family. Sure, that love that they shared is still there in part, but I think for a lot of people, when you love someone deeply, that never goes away (and yes, I do believe that at one point, Emily loved Paige, just not as much as she loved Alison)**

 **It was also interesting to see Alison's reaction to Paige. Though she isn't the same person she was the last time they saw each other, and Alison is fully aware that she, in part, has Paige to thank for pushing her towards Emily, Alison still doesn't really like Paige. But, she keeps her bitchy side back, for Emily's sake more than anything.**

 **In this chapter we also explored the effect of the ADF thing, and how Alison and Grace are coping with it, or not coping should we say. They are both struggling a great deal, and that will be a reoccurring theme throughout the next few chapters.**

 **Emily has been offered her dream job, and is conflicted about taking it, but Alison is pushing her towards it. What do you think she'll do?**

 **Anyway, I pretty much have the next chapter planned out, so hopefully another update won't be too far away.**

 **Please comment, follow, favourite, send me prompts. Tell me what you liked, disliked. it up my Tumblr. Whatever you want, I want to hear from you :)**

 **Lo**

 **xx**


	20. Landslide

**Hello! And a Happy New Year to you all!  
I know that I didn't update as quickly as I promised I would, I was originally working on a Christmas themed Chapter, but it just wasn't getting written and in the end, Christmas came and went, and I was sat with only around 1000 words written, so I made the decision to ditch it and get going with this chapter. It's been sitting in my head since I finished the last one, and honestly I'm happy to have it written and out there for you now, because it means we're heading into the last leg of our story. I know, you don't want it to end, neither do I, but all things must come to an end eventually, and this story has been going on since June! And its like, 140, 000 words now with this update. That's a hella long story, folks! I promise you, the next few chapters are going to be filled with drama, to say the least! **

**Now, you may (or may not have) noticed, that I tend to name all of my chapters after songs. Sometimes this is just because I like the title and it goes with the topic of that chapter, other times it's for the lyric/simply because I listened to that particular song while writing. For this case, it's a little of all three. The song, as you probably all know, is Landslide by The Dixie Chicks, and honestly, I don't think any other song has gone with any other chapter that I've written, so far, particularly the chorus. So, if you're wanting to get into the ultimate Emison mood, maybe read this with the song on repeat.**

 **Anyway, I'll leave you now to enjoy this chapter, and I will see you at the bottom.**

 **As always, thank you to everyone who has commented/messaged me about this fic. It really does mean the world to hear your feedback!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Lo**

 **xx  
**

* * *

The hot August sun was beating down, and small beads of sweat formed on Emily's forehead as she carried the last few boxes to the car, dropping them into the trunk with a thump and a sigh. She wiped her brow with the back of her hand, the other reaching for the water bottle that was resting on the car's rooftop. She quickly drained the contents of the bottle, her eyes falling on Alison, who was standing only feet away with blue eyes trained on the car and pearly white teeth chewing away at a pink bottom lip.  
'You ok?' Emily asked stiffly, as she took in the clearly anxious expression on the blonde's face. Alison blinked hard as she was pulled from her daze, straightening up when she saw the other woman's inquisitive eyes trained on her.  
'Yeah, I'm fine' she replied, the lie automatically rolling off of her tongue, only for her to backtrack instantly, because lying to Emily wasn't something that Alison liked to do, and she had spent years stopping herself from falling back into her old habit. She wasn't about to slip back into that particular habit now.  
'It's just that, now you're going...reality is hitting in a little' she stated softly, her eyebrows pinching together at the thought of Emily getting in that car and driving away from her. She could feel the tears threatening to whelm, as her mind filled with pictures of a life without the brunette by her side and Alison could feel her heart physically hurt at the mere thought.

Emily let out a sigh at the blonde's words, her own heart aching at the reality of their situation, and guilt sinking in at the knowledge that she was to blame for it.  
'We talked about this, Ali' Emily started, her voice wavering, though she tried to keep it strong. 'Please don't make it harder than it has to be' she breathed, almost begging the other woman, because this was so hard. Too hard, in fact.  
'I know we talked about it' Alison replied, her tears visibly forming in her eyes, and the sight of blue eyes becoming flooded almost broke Emily's resolve. 'We talked, and we talked, and I understand why you're doing this, I do. But understanding doesn't make it any easier to watch you go' she admitted, her voice cracking with every word, much like her heart was threatening to. Emily let out a heavy breath, before closing the distance between them, instantly wrapping her arms around Alison's body and pulling her in close. The blonde woman clung to Emily, as her tears began to fall.  
'This isn't forever, you know that' Emily whispered against Alison's temple, her eyes squeezed shut, as she fought the temptation to unpack that damn car and call Stanford to say she'd changed her mind.  
'You said yourself, this is the only way I can take this job' she added sadly, as she swallowed hard to stop her own tears.  
'I know, I just wish there was another way' Alison replied sadly, her voice muffled against Emily's shirt.

 _Emily sighed heavily, as she sat with her forearms dug deep into her thighs and her head feeling heavy with the decision that was constantly hovering over her.  
'I'm not taking it' she finally exhaled, her voice sounding sure and decisive, though Alison could sense the hesitancy behind the seemingly sure words.  
'Why?' Alison asked simply, tilting her head to the side as she looked at her Wife beside her. 'Surely there's at least a small part of you that wants this?' She pushed, looking down at the coffee cup cradled in her hands.  
'Of course I want it, Ali. That's not the issue here' Emily retorted, her eyes widening and her voice growing defensive. 'The issue is that our lives are here. We raised our kids here, their schools are here, our friends, my Mom. That's a lot to just walk away from' she explained, as though Alison wasn't aware of these facts. As though she had to explain to the blonde why this would be difficult, though Emily was aware that most of the time, her words were to remind herself of these facts. To remind herself that she couldn't just jump on a plane and fly to California, as much as she might like to. _

' _Our friends will come visit' Alison began to counter, her voice low and calming as she shifted to face the other woman. 'Your Mom could come with us if she wants, and the kids can change schools. It's not that big of a deal' she concluded, her eyebrow raising as if to show Emily she was ready for any excuse the brunette would throw at her, because she knew that her Wife was throwing these obstacles in the way. Sure, they were perfectly valid obstacles, but there was nothing that they couldn't get through together, and Alison knew that deep down, the real reasoning for Emily not instantly taking this job, was fear. Fear of failing, of moving on from RHS after so long, and fear of doing the wrong thing. There was no easy solution to this situation, Alison was aware of that, and she knew that had she been put in Emily's position, she would simply turn the job down, in order to keep familiarity and due to fear of shifting the balance that they had settled in as a family. She wasn't about to let Emily do that though. However the cradle was rocked, Alison was confident that they could all get through it together.  
'The girls are just about to go into senior year, Ali. We can't just take them out and fly them across the country now' Emily stated pointedly, though her voice was admittedly much calmer than seconds beforehand. _

_Alison sighed heavily, knowing that her Wife was right, not that she would ever admit that. She knew that it wouldn't be fair to relocate the girls, just as they were about to embark upon the most important year of their entire academic education, thus far. This was the year that would make or break their futures. The year that would decide whether they got into a Ivy League School, or would get their degrees at some crappy community college.  
'Ok' Alison breathed, an idea on the tip of her tongue. It was definitely a solution, whether it was the best one she wasn't sure. It would be tough and it definitely wasn't what she wanted, but right now it seemed like their best option.  
'What if you went alone?' she suggested, her heart in her throat as the words left her mouth. 'You could get a head start in California and I'll stay here with the kids. The girls can finish school, and as soon as they graduate, we'll fly out to you' Alison finished, her eyes trained on the brunette with justifiable caution. She knew it wouldn't go down we'll, at least not initially, and a part of her wanted Emily to hit the roof and say she'd never leave in a million years. The other, more logical and selfless part of her, wanted to see the woman she loved, finally do something for herself, after years of giving everything to their family. _

' _You know that's not going to work' Emily finally said softly, and it was those words that almost shattered Alison's heart, because she could see the other woman calculating the possibilities in her mind, trying to work out how they could make that situation work. Alison could see that this was an option that Emily wasn't going to bat away like she had the others, and while she knew that her Wife loved her, it hurt nonetheless.  
'Why not?' She asked, keeping her voice calm and strong for Emily's sake, because she knew that any sign of hesitancy would cause the brunette to backtrack instantly. 'We'll talk every day and I'll come out to you as much as I can, you can both come home whenever you have a break or for weekends' Alison explained, and she wasn't sure whether she was trying to convince Emily, or herself. 'If you want the job, we can make this work'  
'Of course I want the job, but not at the expense of losing you and screwing things up for our kids' Emily replied desperately, and it was those words that became Alison's safety blanket. The green light that told her, this was going to be ok. They were the words of reassurance that Alison needed, the ones that told her they could get through this, and they would be just as strong at the end of it. _

_Alison shuffled a little closer to Emily, her hand resting on a toned thigh as she looked directly into brown eyes, seeing the mixture of want and anxiety hidden beneath.  
'You won't lose me, I promise you that, and the kids will be fine' She said with a soft firmness. 'With everything we've been through, this will be a piece of cake' Alison added, and again, she wasn't sure whether those particular words were for Emily or herself, or maybe even both. Emily looked down towards the ground, her lip clasped between her teeth as she took in her Wife's words.  
'I'm really not sure about this' She finally said, looking up to Alison for instruction. A part of her wished the blonde woman could tell her what to do, go or stay, though she knew what the other woman would tell her to do. Alison had dine nothing but tell her to take this job, and the fact that she was willing to spend that bit of time apart, just for her to take a rarely come by opportunity, made Emily love her all the more.  
'Take a few days to think about it. You don't have to give them an answer right away' Alison suggested, because really that was the only thing she could tell Emily to do. The decision, ultimately, was up to her. Emily nodded her head silently, as she thought about the prospect of this situation, and what it could mean. _

'You and the girls will be flying out to us in two weeks. I promise, it'll fly by.' Emily said in the most reassuring voice she could muster, though she herself was finding this a lot harder than she anticipated. She knew that leaving Alison and the girls would be hard, she just hadn't realised exactly how hard it would be.  
'I just didn't anticipate how hard this would be' Alison stated sadly, reading her Wife's mind perfectly, which honestly didn't surprise either of them anymore. They had always been pretty in-tune with each other, and their ability to just know what the other was thinking had only grown over the years of their relationship.  
'I know babe' Emily sighed, as she swallowed down the quickly building lump in her throat. 'I'm sorry, I know that I'm being selfish for wanting this-'  
'No' The blonde interrupted sternly, stopping the other woman in her tracks. 'No, you're not being selfish, don't think like that' Alison added with that same firmness that told Emily that this wasn't up for discussion. 'You are the least selfish person I know, and I pushed you to take the job because you deserve it. You've given up so much for me and the kids. Now it's your chance to have your dream job, and I don't want you to apologise for that' she finished, her voice softening with every word, because she didn't want Emily to apologise or feel bad for wanting this. She wanted the woman she loved to go and bee her badass self, doing the thing she loved the most at the school she had dreamed of since she was a kid.

'I just feel like I'm walking away from you' Emily admitted defeatedly. 'What if you realise that you don't need me, or that life isn't that bad without me, and you decide to never come to California?' she added, as the idea entered her mind. She couldn't stand the thought of losing Alison over a job, that wasn't the way they had planned for things to go. Alison couldn't help but chuckle at the brunette's words, because they both knew that the likelihood of that happening was slim to none.  
'Babe, I can promise you now, I will be here, alone and miserable, counting down every single day until I'm back with you' she replied with a playful pout, as she tenderly gripped Emily's bicep. 'Besides, you could easily fall in love with some skinny, blonde student, who originally comes from Malibu and walks around in booty shorts and flip flops' she added, her brow furrowing slightly at the thought of this non-existent woman putting the moves up on the other woman. Emily hummed softly, as she narrowed her eyes and tilted her head playfully.  
'Hmm, she sounds hot. Is she the girl who is addicted to tanning salons, and got a boob job during High School?' Emily asked, laughing hard as Alison slapped her arm in response.  
'Shut up' the blonde replied with an eye roll, before crossing her arms over her chest defensively.  
'Now you know how ridiculous you sound' Emily reasoned, her lips curling into the lightest of smirks at her Wife's reaction. 'Since I was 12 years old, the only blonde I've ever wanted was you. That's never changed, and it never will. If anything, I'm only going to want you more, being apart from you' she stated lovingly, as she cupped Alison's cheek in her hand.

'You really know how to say all the right things, don't you' the blonde replied sarcastically, though the slight pinkening of her cheeks were definitely a sign that she had found her wife's words endearing to say the least.  
'That's why you married me' Emily quipped with a cheeky smile, and Alison couldn't help but laugh at the woman's witty come back, before leaning in to place the sweetest of kisses upon her Wife's lips. Alison draped her arms loosely over the other woman's shoulders, while Emily's hands gripped firmly at the blonde's waist, pulling her in closer until their bodies were flush together.  
'Ew, teenagers present' Came Grace's voice from behind, causing the two older women to separate before their kids saw way more than bargained for. Emily turned to see the teenage brunette walking down the driveway, a look of disgust written across her features, as if seeing her Parents kiss was the most revolting thing in the world. Lily on the other hand, who came bouncing along behind, looked as though her eyes were sparkling at the sight of her clearly in-love parents.  
'Oh shut up, let them say goodbye' the teen argued playfully, hip bumping her sister as she stopped beside her.

'Oh, I heard them saying goodbye' Grace scoffed as she rolled her eyes in a manner that reminded Emily so much of Alison when she was a teenager. 'Half the freaking night, I heard them' she added, her nose crinkling in disgust again as she remembered the noises that had come from her Moms' room the previous night, causing Grace to have to put on headphones in order to finally block out the sounds that she was sure would haunt her dreams for a very long time. Alison and Emily's eyes widened at their daughter's confession, because honestly, they hadn't thought they were that loud, but then again they had gotten caught up in the moment of 'saying goodbye'.  
'Yeah ok, that was way too much information' Lily rebutted, her face matching her sister's, as she turned to her parents. 'Sorry Moms, you're on your own with this one' she added semi-apologetically, her eyes looking the two older women up and down, before a shudder ran down her back at the thought of her parents doing the nasty. Emily simply rolled her eyes, while Alison stood silently, her already flushed cheeks, now burning bright red, and neither woman had ever been so happy to see their son, Jude, leave the house.  
'You all set buddy?' Emily practically pounced on him as he walked towards them, desperate to change the topic of conversation from her and Alison's sex life.  
'Uh, yeah I think so' the Eleven-year-old boy replied awkwardly, as he picked up on the weird vibe that was lingering between his Moms and his Sisters.

While the Alison and Emily had decided that it was best for Grace and Lily to remain in Rosewood until they finished school, they had decided that it would be the opposite for Jude, who was due to start attending Rosewood Middle School in September. The two older women had come to the conclusion that, much like his sisters, they didn't want Jude's education to be disrupted by a move across the country, one year into Middle School, and so decided that it would be best for him to go with Emily to California and start school there.  
'I never thought I'd say this, but I'm going to miss you squirt' Grace sighed, as she ruffled the younger boy's hair. As much as she found her brother annoying, she really would miss having him around.  
'Yeah, I mean, I never wanted a younger brother, and you're annoying as hell, but now that you're going to be gone, I wish you were staying' Lily added with a soft pout, and Jude's eyes widened at his Sister's unusually mushy behaviour towards him.  
'Ok, can we go already?' He asked, turning from his Sisters to Emily. 'They're really creeping me out' he added, as he side eyed the two taller girls beside him. Emily and Alison chuckled at their son's words, the brunette nodding her head, before turning to her Wife.  
'I'll call you from the road' Emily said softly, her voice filled with so many different emotions, she wasn't sure which would take hold.  
'Yeah' Alison replied, her own voice growing heavy as the time for Emily to leave grew closer. 'And we'll see you in two weeks' she added, as she swallowed the lump that was growing in her throat.  
'It'll fly by, I promise you' Emily stated, before turning to look at Grace and Lily, who both looked as though they were overwhelmed with their own emotions. 'This will be fine. We'll be ok' she reassured the teenagers, though she was sure that she was partly reassuring herself too.

Emily opened her arms, signalling for the girls to hug her, and while Lily instantly moved in, wrapping her arms tightly around the taller brunette's body, Grace stood back and watch with cautious eyes.  
'Grace? No hug for your Mom?' Emily asked, her brow furrowing slightly at her daughter's lack of movement. While she knew that her other daughter had never particularly been the cuddly type, she had expected at least a quick hug from Grace.  
'I uh, I don't need to hug you goodbye' Grace stammered slightly over her words, her eyes downcast on the ground. 'I'll be seeing you in two weeks anyway' she added, looking up to flash the older brunette a false smile.  
'Ok then...' Emily mumbled, as concern grew for Grace and how she was handling this move, she knew that her daughter had had a particularly hard time of accepting the temporary separation of their family. Alison sensed the tension between Emily and Grace instantly, and while she knew that it wasn't something that could be ignored, she didn't want it to delay her Wife any longer.  
'Go, it'll be ok' she muttered quietly, turning her body towards Emily's and linking their hands between them. She saw the way the other women's eyes silently asked a million questions and the arguments she was forming in her mind, but Alison leaned in to silence them before they could be verbalised.

'Go' she repeated. 'Be safe, ok? And call, lots' she added, giving Emily the best smile she could form, though admittedly it didn't achieve the intended result. Brown eyes flickered from Alison to Grace, and back again. The tanned woman's lips remained in a tight line, as she contemplated what to do.  
'Ok' she finally breathed, her body relaxing slightly as she exhaled. 'I will, I promise' she stated, before pulling Alison into another lingering kiss. Both women pushed back the tears that were threatening to fall, their hearts hammering as though they feared being apart, and honestly, this was the closest that either of them wanted to come to actually saying 'goodbye', rather than what was actually an elongated 'see you later'. Their kiss lasted a little longer than either intended, neither wanting to pull apart for the last time in to long weeks, but they knew the inevitable was coming, and it was Alison that eventually pulled away, urging Emily on with a quick squeeze of the hands, before they parted fully.  
'You be good for Mom, ok?' the blonde said, turning to Jude, as she pulled the brunette haired boy into her and placed a firm kiss upon his head.  
'I will' the pre-teen replied, before finally escaping his Mother's clutches and climbing into the passenger seat of his other Mom's silver Volvo. Alison took a few steps back, stopping to be in line with a tearful Lily and numb-looking Grace, and the three of them watched silently as Emily gave them a tearful, tight lipped smile, and climbed into her car. The older woman had barely put the shift stick into drive, when Grace turned on her heels and headed back inside of the house, with silent tears flooding down her face.

 _Emily and Alison sat side by side on the couch, their hands clasped between their knees as they faced their three children, who were looking at them with expectant faces from the couch opposite. 'Uh, guys' Emily started awkwardly, unsure of how to tell their children the news that they would temporarily be a bi-coast family.  
'We have something to talk to you about' Alison stepped in, side eyeing her Wife in silent concern, before turning to face their children before her.  
'Wait, are you getting a divorce?' Lily asked, her lips parting slightly at the thought of the unthinkable happening. Her Moms were the most in-love parents she had ever seen, maybe apart from Ava's Mom and Dad, but their relationship was so passive aggressive and vulgar, it was a totally different level to the sweet, admirable relationship her Moms had.  
'I'm staying with Momma Em!' Grace jumped in, though she was only semi-joking.  
'God, please don't make me choose' Lily half begged, shaking her head with her eyes wide in horror at the thought of having to choose between her Moms.  
'Can I just go live with Caleb and Hanna?' Jude asked, his face scrunched as he tilted his head to the side in thought. 'Their house is way less crazy than ours is, and there's less girls' he added thoughtfully. Alison couldn't help but laugh at her children's reactions and instant jumping to conclusions. _

_'We're not getting a divorce' Alison replied with a smirk, her eyes drawing in on Grace. 'But nice to know who your favourite parent is, Grace' she added, not that she was surprised. Grace and Emily had a special relationship, which had initially occurred through their shared love of swimming, but over the years had developed into so much more than a fondness for chlorine and exercise. Emily snickered, while Grace looked a little sheepish under her Mother's ice blue eyes.  
'No, this isn't a bad thing' the brunette woman confirmed, rubbing her lips together in thought before she continued. 'It could actually be a pretty good thing, we just want your opinion on it first' she stated, a small smile forming on her lips, though she admittedly felt more than a little nervous about dropping this bombshell.  
'If the next words to come out of your mouths include the word baby, then I'm going to have to say hell to the no' Grace piped up, her eyes widening at the thought of another screaming baby in the house.  
'Aw but a little baby around the place would be so cute!' Lily cooed with a pout, and while her sister was not in the market for another sibling, Lily figured that a baby wouldn't be too bad.  
'I wouldn't mind having a baby here, just as long as it's a boy' Jude reasoned, causing Emily to smile at her sensitive little guy, and she wondered if maybe some time out of his Sister's shadows might do him some good. _

_'Guys!' Alison raised her voice, stopping the three brunette children in their tracks. 'Would you shut up for two freaking seconds and let us speak before jumping to conclusions!?' She asked in exasperation, because it was hard enough to tell them this news, without having them jump to conclusions and talk over them every two minutes. Emily automatically placed a reassuring hand on the other woman's thigh, instantly easing her Wife and calming her from the frustration she was feeling.  
'There's no baby either' Emily informed them, taking a deep breath before she continued. 'I've been offered a job, a great job actually, to go and coach for a college swim team' she began, wanting to ease them into the big news. Grace's head shot up at these words, the thought of not having her Mom there for her last year swimming with the Sharks was unsettling, and she was about to voice this concern, but was shot a glare by Alison the second she opened her mouth to speak.  
'It's a really good opportunity and would mean a lot more money for us, and it's for a school that I've been dreaming of for...I don't even know how long' Emily continued, and it was these last words that hit Grace, because there was only one school that her Mom could be talking about.  
'Oh my god, Mom this sounds perfect!' Lily stated excitedly, not catching on to the same vital clue that Grace had. 'But, why do you look so worried about it?'  
'Because it means moving to California...' Grace answered her sister, before her Moms were able to find the right words to say. _

It was safe to say, that was a day that changed the dynamic of the DiLaurentis-Fields household. Jude felt mixed feelings about the whole thing, since he would be going to sunny California, which in honesty he considered to be an exciting and new adventure, however the thought of leaving his friends behind was definitely a downside. Lily was excited that they would now be travelling to sunny California on a semi-regular basis, meaning she could top up her tan and maybe meet some cool new people, she was just gutted that she wouldn't be joining her Mom and brother, though she knew that would mean leaving Ava behind and she wasn't sure that was something she could do either. Grace just felt numb and desolate, and if she was honest, she felt abandoned. She couldn't understand how her Mom could just get up and go, and take a job the other side of the country, leaving her behind, especially after everything that had happened the past few years. Grace was still getting over the repercussions of the shooting, when the whole incident with Aaron occurred, and though that had been almost a year ago now, she was still feeling vulnerable and fragile in certain situations. There were still nights where she couldn't sleep, and so would sit on the couch all night long with the tv muted, so as not to wake her parents, though Emily seemed to know and would usually end up right alongside the younger brunette. The days that she struggled to leave the house, Emily would be there beside her, encouraging her to take the first step. Her Mom had become her security blanket, and now that she was actually gone, Grace felt exposed and weak.

As she lay face down on her bed, she let her tears fall and her heart hurt at the loss she was feeling. Sure, she knew that she was probably being a little over dramatic, she would be seeing her Mom in two short weeks, but she was feeling a grief like sadness all the same. A light knock pulled her from her thoughts, causing her to quickly wipe away her tears on her pillow, though she kept her face buried in the black and white spotted material.  
'Can I come in?' Came Alison's voice, her tone filled with sympathy and knowing.  
'Well, you're going to anyway so I guess saying no won't do much good' Grace mumbled into her pillow, causing Alison to let out the smallest of airy chuckles and the sarcastic comment that she was sure she'd probably used on her own Mother once upon a time. The blonde woman entered the room and perched herself on the edge of Grace's bed, resting her hands in her lap as she desperately searched her mind to find the best way to get her stubborn daughter to talk, and already, Alison wished that Emily were here to help, because the other woman was so much better at getting Grace to open up than she was.

'You come inside pretty quickly' Alison started, deciding that being semi-blunt was the best way to go about this. 'Your Mom was barely out of the driveway' she added for good measure, because she wanted her daughter to talk about how she was feeling and sometimes, the best way to do that was to rip the band aid off quickly and let the air hit the wound.  
'Well, what's the point in standing there? She's leaving regardless' Grace replied, in a defeated, monotonous tone that caused Alison to worry more so for her daughter because she knew that this would hit Grace in particular, more so than her siblings.  
'Sweetie, you know that she's not gone for good' The blonde said, in an attempt to try to get her daughter to see the positive sides to Emily going, though she herself was struggling to see them now that her Wife had actually gone. 'She'll be back as much as she can, and we'll go out to her too'  
'She's still gone though' Grace countered, finally lifting her head from her pillow to look at her Mom, and Alison felt her heart break all over again at the sight of her daughter's red, tears stained eyes. 'She's not here anymore' the brunette added with an aggressive edge, and until that point she hadn't actually realised that she was angry. She was angry at her Mom for leaving her, she was angry at her other Mom for allowing it to happen and she was angry that nobody seemed to give a damn about what she wanted to happen in this situation.

'Grace, she's only a phone call away. You can call her whenever you want' Alison sighed, feeling her own bought of disheartenment.  
'It's not the same!' Grace snapped, her anger taking control, and in that moment, Alison felt like a complete failure as a parent. She had been unable to perform a simple task, such as reassuring her daughter when she was feeling distressed and hurt, and she wished that Emily were here, because she would know how to fix this. She would know how to make her feel like a good parent again, and she would be able to calm Grace like nobody else had ever been able to. For a moment, Alison considered calling her Wife for advice, or to talk Grace down from her burst of anger. Maybe even Emily would come back and change her mind, and everything would be better again, but she knew that she couldn't do that. Not after months of persuading the brunette to take the job in the first place. All those promises of 'it'll be fine' and 'me and the girls will survive', would have been for nothing if she made the call, when Emily was less than 10 miles out of town. No, she was on her own now, and that meant that she would have to deal with these things alone. The good, the bad and the ugly.

'I know it's not the same. Trust me, I know' Alison started, a lump forming in her throat as she prepared herself to pour her heart out to her daughter and be brutally honest in a way that she hadn't before. 'But do you really think that I'm happy with this situation? That I wanted your Mom to move across the country and live away from us? To take Jude away from us?' She asked, her own tears filling her eyes, and god this hurt. It was painful and raw, and now that she was admitting how much it fucking sucked already, to not have Emily here, the sadness seemed to escalate.  
'I wish I could have told your Mom not to take that job. I wish I could have told her to stay, because honestly the thought of living without her by my side terrifies me. She's always been there, watching out for me, making sure I don't fuck up, and I'm scared that without her, I'm going to go back to a person that I didn't like very much and she won't be here to stop it' Alison admitted, looking her daughter in the eye as she spoke each word with importance and significance, because Grace needed to hear this. 'But, I told her to take the job regardless to all that. I pushed her into accepting it, because it's what she deserves. She's spent years turning down endless job offers and amazing opportunities, so that she can be here and do the right thing for us, but I couldn't let her turn this down. Not when it's Stanford that's calling her.'  
'Mom, I-' Grace started, wanting to say something, but with her Mom being so unusually open with her she was shocked into speechlessness.

'Look' Alison sighed, sniffing as she wiped away the tears. 'Just because your Mom isn't here, doesn't mean she doesn't care or love you' she continued, smiling a sad, tight lipped smile at Grace, who looked completely dumfounded right now at the flood of word vomit that had just come from her. 'She loves you so much, and you know that if you needed her, she'd fucking...grow wings and fly herself here to get to you if she had to' she stated, causing Grace to laugh softly.  
'I know' the brunette replied lightly, her mind still filled with the image of her Mom morphing into a bird in order to get home to them. 'But, what if I need her and she can't get home? What if something happens and she's not here to protect us?' She asked, voicing her true fears to her Mom, who had just done the same. Alison sighed as she thought for a second, taking in her daughter's fears and worries, and for a moment she tried to put herself into Emily's shoes, think what advice her Wife would give, but she quickly realised that she had her own advice she could give, her own words that she could say, because she was feeling exactly the same feelings as Grace, and maybe sympathy would get through and work much better than anything else.

'I know I may not be as...heroic as your Mom, and I'm a hell of a lot more shouty than she is' she stated, pulling a face at the last part, causing Grace to chuckle again, lightening the air between them, before Alison's face became serious again and she took tanned hands into her own and caught contact with beautiful brown orbs that were identical to the woman who had gifted them to their daughter. 'But I'm just as protective, and I promise you, I will not let anything happen to you, or Lily' she promised, her tone screaming for Grace to listen and believe the words she was saying, because she had never meant anything more than what this right now. 'You're my baby girl, ok? I don't care how big or old you get, that will always be the case, and I will fight to the end to keep you safe' she finished, and the two sat in a moment of silence and understanding, before Grace leaned into her Mother, who quickly pulled the teenager into a tight embrace.  
'I love you, Mom' the brunette hushed, her words slightly muffled against the older woman's chest.  
'I love you too, Gracie' Alison replied as she rested her mouth against brunette hair, her eyes focused on the wall across from her, as she mentally congratulated herself for a job well done. She had successfully managed her first solo parenting drama, and she had done a pretty good job, if she did say so herself.  
'We'll really be ok?' Grace asked, lifting her head back slightly to peer into her Mother's eyes.  
'I promise you, we will. It'll just be a different kind of ok'

* * *

 **I know what you're going to say, 'How could I split up the family!?' 'Why couldn't Ali and the twins have gone too?'**  
 **I know, I know and I'm sorry but I tell you this, there is method to my madness, and I can promise you that this will not split up Emison. They are, and always will be, endgame. This was just another turn in the road for them, and is something that many families struggle with. What do you do when you're offered an amazing job miles away from your home town, 2 of your kids are heading into their final year of High School and the other is just about to start Middle School? There really is no ideal solution for this, so this is the way they are dealing with it, and I think it'll be fun to explore how they cope living their separate lives for a while, after having been together for so long now and being forced into a family unit from the get go. We're already seeing how Alison is handling it. She's a little unstable right now, but from the looks of it, she's going to come out stronger and more sure of herself than ever before!**

 **Now, as I said above, we are coming to the end of the story. I'm thinking there might be like, 2/3 chapters left in it now. However, Dont You Remember is still a long way from being finished, and I have a few ideas floating around for other fics, some short, some long. I have a few one shots that I'd like to write too, so these may make an appearance soon. I will be solely focusing on DYR, because I simply don't have the time to commit to 2 fics anymore, and I don't want to keep people waiting.  
One of the fics I have planned out (sort of) is an Avily fic, if people still want to see it, that is? The end of this one will nicely lead into the storyline for that, but will work without that lead on too, so really it's up to you guys whether you want to see it or not! **

**Anyway, I've waffled on for far too long, I guess I just missed you!**

 **Until next time**

 **Lo xx**


	21. Everything Has Changed

**Well, hello there! I'll bet you wasn't expecting an update from me so soon, were you? I actually have no idea how I managed to get this chapter out so quickly, I've shocked myself haha! I'll be honest, it's a bit of a filler chapter, though we do get a great Avily scene that I know some of you will enjoy. This chapter is mostly just a set up for the next one though, tbh. After that, there will only be 1 more chapter left! *Sob*  
I know, I'm sad too :(**

 **Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. AS always, keep commenting and reviewing, I love hearing from you :)**

 **Lo  
XX**

* * *

'I miss you' the voice comes down the receiver of the phone, causing Alison so smile sadly.  
'I miss you too' she replied, her voice silky smooth as she silently wished that she could do more than just listen to her Wife's voice at the other end of a telephone. Sure, there was skype and facetime, but it wasn't the same, and Alison had found that it actually made things worse, being able to see the other woman, but not touch or kiss her.  
'It's quiet here without you both' she added with a pout, as she fiddles with the leaves on the potted ficus plant.  
'I know what you mean' Emily sighed, as she looked around the empty house, that was way too big for just she and Jude, making an already empty house seem that much more so. 'How are the girls doing?' She asked with concern. Though Alison had kept a positive spin on things, Emily knew that the girls were struggling with her being gone, Grace more so than Lily. Alison had let slip a few things that had gone on over the past few months, and it only made it that much harder to be away from them.

'They're doing ok' Alison replied, the same response she always gave in order to not give away just how dire the situation was with Grace. 'How's Jude?'  
'He's doing great. He's settled well into his new school, which is good. I think he's struggling not having you here though' Emily stated honestly, biting her lip as she leaned into the couch cushion.  
'Well, it'll only be a few days and we'll be out to you. Hopefully that'll help a little' Alison said positively, trying to lighten the mood, as she found she always was. Her usually optimistic Wife had all but disappeared since Emily moved to California. Instead, Alison found herself talking to a pouty, moping woman every night, and she hated that her Wife was so miserable.  
'I hope so' came the sighed reply, and Alison's heart felt heavy in her chest at the sadness in the other woman's voice. She wanted to tell Emily to come home. Quit the job, take back the position at RHS and be with them where they were all happiest, but she couldn't bring herself to say the words. The silence lingered between them, and Alison honestly didn't know what to say to Emily. She, however, was saved by the doorbell, which echoed through the house at just the right time.

'Uhm, I've gotta go, babe. Someone's at the door and I'm just heading out to see your Mom' Alison said apologetically, because as hard as she was finding it to talk to Emily lately, she would rather stay on the phone in complete silence, knowing she was there, than not be on the phone at all.  
'Ok, well give her a big hug from me and tell her I love her' the brunette sighed down the phone, because she really needed more than just a few minutes of conversation from her Wife, though that was all they seemed to get these days before someone or something interrupted them.  
'I will. I love you' Alison replied, sensing that Emily was less than happy with their current arrangement.  
'I love you too'  
Alison hung up, with a heaviness in her heart. This whole situation was supposed to be the best option for them as a family, but instead everyone seemed miserable, and she could only put herself to blame for that. Something had to change, and she knew that she'd have to be the one to change it.

Another knock on the door pulled Alison rom her thoughts, and the blonde turned to open the door, a fake smile plastering across her face when she was met with the sight of a smaller, younger blonde. 'Hey Mrs D-F!' Ava greeted cheerfully, as she bypassed the older blonde on the threshold, entering the house without waiting for an invite, not that Alison cared.  
'Hey Aves. Glad you found the knocker this time' Alison replied with an amused smirk and a raised eyebrow, because she loved Ava, she really did. The blonde was like another daughter to her, but by god did it annoy her when the teenager would just pop up in their house unannounced, having let herself in without anyone knowing.  
'Well, after you almost clobbered me with that vase, I figured I should give you warning next time' Ava chuckled lightly, though her brows knit together as she remembered the memory of Alison coming at her with the purple vase and the scariest blue eyes she had ever seen. The older woman rolled her eyes at these words, deciding not to respond and simply send the teenager out of her way.  
'Just get in and go up to Lily, before I actually beat your ass with something harder than a flower vase' Alison replied, as she gently nudged the smaller blonde into the house and towards the stairs.  
'While you're up there can you tell Grace to get her ass down here, and let Lily know that I'm popping to Grandma's' Alison called after the girl, as she grabbed her jacket from the hook.

'Sure thing' Ava called behind her as she traipsed up the stairs, almost bumping into Grace at the top.  
'Hey hot stuff' the blonde greeted flirtatiously, winking at Grace as she came to the top.  
'Hey sexy Mama' Grace replied, though her tone was far less cheerful than Ava's before her, and definitely did not match the words that she had said.  
'What's up?' Ava asked in concern, her eyes narrowing slightly. 'Still missing Momma Em?'  
'That obvious?' Grace asked, as she looked down at the ground. The past few weeks had be the hardest weeks of her life, and she wished more than anything that her Mom would come home to them, though the one good thing to come out of it, was the closeness she had developed with her Grandma. The teenager had found herself spending many evenings after school, and weekend afternoons with the older Fields woman, and Grace found that she enjoyed the older woman's company.  
You'll see her soon. It'll be ok' Ava replied in the most comforting tone she could muster, though she knew that nothing she said could stop Grace from missing her Mom.  
'Whatever' Grace huffed as she rolled her eyes, because she was truly sick of everyone telling her it would all be ok in the end. She didn't care about how it would be in the end, she cared about how it was now, and right now things sucked. 'I gotta go, anyway. Lily's in her room' the brunette added, before making her way down the stairs.  
'Cool, say hi to Grandma P for me!' She called after the other girl, who was no half way down the staircase.  
'Will do!' Grace shouted back over her shoulder, before grabbing her coat and exiting the house to join her Mom.

Ava turned on her heels, and made her way across the landing, letting herself into Lily's room without bothering to knock.  
'Hey babe' she greeted happily, as she closed the door behind her, before turning back around to face the bed. Her eyes widened when she was met by the sight of her girlfriend lying in the bed, knees clearly bent under the covers and her head thrown back into the pillows. The brunette's eye shot open, widening with panic as she sat up, her hand shooting out from its place between her legs.  
'Ava! What the fuck!?' Lily yelled, her cheeks tinting pink with embarrassment at having been caught during such a private and personal moment. Ava however, got a mischievous glint in her eye, and felt a little turned on by the situation.  
'What are you doing?' Lily asked, her breath panting as she spoke  
'Uh, what are you doing, more like' Ava shot back with a smirk, knowing full well what she had just caught her girlfriend doing. Lily looked around the room, clearly flustered, as she tried to come up with an excuse.  
'I was...uh...I had an itch? She stuttered, the words coming out as more of a question than a statement, and Ava couldn't help but laugh at the brunette's misfortune.  
'I can see that' she stated, wriggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Lily rolled her eyes and groaned, throwing herself back into the pillows, while Ava crossed the bedroom and climbed onto the bed beside her girlfriend.  
'You know...' The blonde started, as she walked her fingers across the covers. 'I could help you scratch it' she suggested, her stomach flipping at the thought of finally getting her hands on the other girl's body.  
'What?' Lily asked quickly, her eyes wider than ever at the suggestion.  
'Your itch? I could help you take care of that, if you wanted me to' Ava repeated herself, intensifying the flirtation and suggestion behind her words in a way that was not making Lily's current sexual frustration any easier. Ava's fingers continued to tip-toes across the covers and she bit down on her lower lip, while Lily lay, frozen in place as she watched the other girl, whose fingers inched closer to the top of the cover. Ava's hand was just about to pull the cover down, when Lily grabbed her wrist, stopping her in place.  
'What are you doing?' Lily asked with a hint of panic in her voice. It wasn't that she didn't want to have sex with Ava. In fact, she wanted nothing more, but she was so nervous about it, that she had found her nerves kicking in time and time again, stopping any progress they made in that direction.

'Shh, I'm helping you out' Ava replied in a hushed tone, her fingers hooking over the edge of the duvet cover.  
'But, what if my Mom comes in?' the brunette asked, as she searched for excuses to stop what was inevitably going to happen. Ava let out a soft sigh and looked deep into Lily's eyes, before leaning in to place a soft, simple kiss to the other girl's lips.  
'You're Mom and Grace just left' she informed Lily, wanting to calm her girlfriend so that they could finally have a bit of fun. 'It's just us. Relax' she assured the other teen, before pulling the cover back and swinging her leg over Lily's body until she was straddling her girlfriend's hips.  
'But-'  
Ava rolled her eyes and leaned in to kiss away her words, gently slipping her tongue between Lily's lips when the brunette finally started kissing back. It wasn't long before Ava felt fingers tangling in her blonde locks, causing her to let out a deep moan. Lily kissed back eagerly, sitting herself up as she wrapped an arm around Ava's waist, holding the blonde in place.  
'Ava. Are you sure you want to do this?' Lily mumbled against the other girl's lips, before pulling back completely to look into her girlfriend's eyes. 'Like, are you sure you're ready?' She asked, more so wanting to ensure that the blonde wasn't rushing into this or giving into her hormones at a time when she wasn't quite ready. Ava's lips curved into the most loving of smiles, as she looked down upon her girlfriend, who looked so conflicted. Her lust-filled eyes also featuring an essence of caution and hesitance, and she was looking at the other girl as if she were the most delicate, breakable thing in the world. It was that look that made even more determined to finally make love to the brunette.

'I've been ready for so long' Ava replied in the softest voice imaginable, her smile permanently etched across her face. 'I'm done waiting' she hushed. Her brow creased ever so slightly as she looked down upon the girl that held her heart, and did so with more tenderness than Lily could ever hope for. The brunette swallowed hard as she saw the awe in blue, sparkling eyes, mixed with lust and need and want, and if she wasn't done for already, that look definitely sealed her fate. She hooked her hand around the other teenagers, neck, pulling her in again to capture her lips into a much more heated kiss than before. Her hands shook with nerves, but her hormones spurred her to keep going, arousal building quickly within her. She quickly realised that, nervous as she was, she wanted to take this leap. She and Ava had been together for so long now, and had almost gotten there so many times, only to either be interrupted by someone or for one of them to slow things down again. Now, they were both ready. Lily's hands trailed down Ava's back, as their kiss deepened with intensity, her fingers ghosting across the fabric that covered pale skin, before settling at the girl's hips.

She flipped them over, skilfully placing the blonde onto her back before settling herself on top of Ava. She hovered over the blonde to look into her girlfriend's eyes as she tenderly brushed away a strand of hair, tucking it behind Ava's ear.  
'I love you' she whispered, her lips pulled into a straight line, as if to prove the seriousness behind her words. Ava swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry and her heart hammering against her chest.  
'I love you too' She replied sweetly, a small smile gracing her lips. Lily leaned down and kissed her tenderly, with Ava quickly deepening it. their tongues quickly found each other and instantly began moving together in sync. Lily moaned softly into each Ava's mouth as the heat between them built quickly.

Alison pulled her car up outside of the green, slatted house, her heart instantly warming at the sight of Emily's childhood home. It was the house that they had both grown up in, as well as all three of their children in the later years. It was the house that they had fallen in love in, the house that held so many loving and happy memories inside. It was in this house that Grace had taken her first steps, and Pam had taught Lily to read, and it was because of all of those memories, the good and the bad, that this house would always hold a special place in Alison's heart. She pushed the door open, her nostrils instantly penetrated with the smell of freshly baked goods.  
'Pam? It's only me!' Alison called through as she and Grace entered the house, the brunette closing the door behind them.  
'Through here, honey!' The older woman's voice trailed from the kitchen, though Alison and Grace were already on their way through to said room, knowing there was nowhere else the brunette would be.  
'Mmm, smells good grandma!' Grace stated enthusiastically as she sniffed in the mixed scent of sugar and cinnamon. 'Whatchya making?' she asked, as she made her way over to the counter, where her Grandma was mixing a bowl of cake mixture.  
'Oh, just some cookies and muffins for the Police Department bake sale' Pam replied with a smile, as she looked across at her granddaughter, who was already towering above her, while Alison helped herself to coffee from the fancy coffee maker she and Emily had brought the older woman for Christmas the year before last.

'Can I help?' The younger brunette asked eagerly. Over the past few weeks, she had found herself helping Pam out with baking more and more, and had found that she actually enjoyed it, much to the older woman's delight.  
'Sure! If you could mix this for me, I can check on the cookies in the oven' Pam replied, as she handed the bowl and spoon to Grace. The older brunette turned to Alison, wiping her hands on her apron as she walked across the kitchen. She leaned in to peck Alison on the cheek, a gesture that was returned by the blonde woman, who had become a second daughter to her over the years.  
'How are you?' Alison asked, as she cupped her hands around her mug and leaned into the counter behind her.  
'I'm ok, same old. Nothing to report' Pam replied nonchalantly, as she opened the oven door to take out the cookies that had baked to a delicious golden colour. 'More importantly, how are you?' she asked, turning her head as she gingerly placed the tray on top of the oven.  
'We're doing ok' Alison replied, nodding her head softly as she bit down on her lip thoughtfully, before continuing. 'I spoke to Em this morning. She said to tell you she loves you'

Pam's face lit up at the mention of her daughter, though she felt a pang of sorrow, because she knew that Alison and the girls weren't doing so great with Emily gone. She had spent many an afternoon talking Grace through the sadness that had overcome her, and she hoped that she was making somewhat of a difference to the teenager's thoughts on the situation.  
'Oh, how's she doing out there?' She asked, as she carefully placed the cookies onto a cooling rack.  
'Ok, from what she tells me anyway. Her voice tells a different story though' Alison stated glumly, because she still felt an immense amount of guilt, though she knew she would feel guilty with whatever way things had panned out.  
'What do you mean?'  
'She just sounds...I don't know...sad, I guess?' Alison sighed, before taking a sip of her still-hot coffee.  
'Well, of course she's sad, sweetie. She misses you and girls' Pam pointed out, as she turned to give the blonde her full attention.  
'I wish she hadn't taken this job' the blonde admitted, as she looked up at the wise and older woman. 'But how do I tell her that? How can I just tell her to come home now? After me pushing her to go in the first place?' She wondered aloud, something she had been thinking in the days since her Wife left for sunny California. Grace listened in on the conversation silently, her heart dropping at how sad her Mom sounded. She made a decision then and there, that she needed to do something. She needed to get her Mom and brother back home with them, where they belong. She just needed to come up with a reason for them to come back for good.

Lily and Ava's bodies writhed around on the bed, both girls now stripped to just their underwear. Ava unhooked Lily's bra, sliding it off of her girlfriend's shoulders and down her arms. They had gotten this far before, and they had seen each other topless thousands of times, but the sight still made Ava's breath hitch. She was sure she had never seen anyone as beautiful as the girl before her. Lily made quick work to help remove Ava's bra too, before pushing their bodies together. They both let out a soft groan, as their naked breasts came into contact, perky nipples bumping against each other as they nestled back into the pillows. Lily's hand travelled down Ava's side, her fingers whispering against tanned skin, until she reached the blonde's panties. The brunette, in response, sat back on her heels between Ava's legs, her fingers resting against the band of the other girl's underwear. She looked up, silently asking for permission, which was met with a quick, but subtle, nod of the head, before she slipped the panties down long, pale legs. She couldn't help but look at the sight before her. Ava in all her naked glory, was the most breath-taking thing she had seen.  
'You're so beautiful' she hushed, before biting down on her lip, as she continued to take in all of what was in front of her.

Ava smiled shyly, before reaching down to pull Lily back up on top of her. Her hands slipped down the back of Lily's panties as they kissed deeply. The brunette shifted, her thigh rising slightly and coming into contact with Ava's centre. She pulled back to apologise, but found herself met with a pleasurable moan that she definitely wasn't expecting. She mentally filed that away for future, noting that this, apparently was a good thing to do. With that, she moved back in, pressing her lips back against Ava's as she pressed her thigh harder against the blonde's centre. Ava's hip instinctively began to rock against the soft, fleshy limb, feeling herself begin to build up with every grind against Lily's leg.  
'That feels good' panted Ava, as she rested her forehead against Lily's lips, causing the brunette to plant the softest of kisses there. Lily felt an ounce of braveness, and began to move her hand down the other girl's body, resting her head against Ava's as her hand inched towards the desired destination. The second her fingers met moist folds, she let out she lightest of gasps. She hadn't expected it to be so...wet. She slid inexperienced fingers through the folds, looking for that tiny bundle of nerves that she was constantly in search for whenever she satisfied herself. She hoped that it did the same for Ava.

It took her a second, but the second she found it, the blonde beneath her let out a deep groan, her mouth hanging open slightly at the new feeling. Lily took this as a good sign, and gently began to rub her fingertip back and forth across the top of the nub.  
'Does that feel good?' She asked nervously, wanting to ensure that Ava had the best possible time, especially as this was the first time for either of them to be this intimate with another person.  
'Uhuh' Ava breathed, nodding her head, which had long ago fallen back into the pillow. Her breathing was irregular and her chest had become flushed. Lily wondered whether this was normal for someone during sex, or whether it was unique to Ava. Either way, she considered it a good sign, and it only spurred her on to do a good job. Lily slid her finger lower, stopping when she reached that small hole that, from her own experience, was also a great thing to touch. She hovered over Ava, her eyes trained on the blonde's face, as she gently eased her finger in, not wanting to hurt her girlfriend. Ava's hooded eyes, widened at the intruder, and if it hadn't been for the appreciative hum that the blonde released, Lily would have ripped the digit straight back out. Instead she let it sit there for a moment, allowing Ava's body to adjust to the new feeling of having something inside of her.

'You ok?' Lily asked, wanting reassurance from the other girl that she wasn't doing anything that Ava didn't like.  
'Yeah' Ava breathed, as she brought her hand up to hook around Lily's neck, her fingers playing with the small, soft strands of hair that had escaped loose from her ponytail. With the short reply, Lily began to ever so slowly, pump her finger in and out, relishing in the feeling of the soft, warm walls that enveloped the single digit. She leaned in and placed a few tender pecks to Ava's lips, before pulling back to watch again. She wanted to see everything, curious to see what her girlfriend looked like when she was in the throes of passion. She watched as Ava began to grow breathless, her mouth hung as she panted heavily. She revelled in the feeling of the other girl's hips writhing beneath her, as she ground herself into Lily's hand.  
'Faster' Ava breathed, her eyes squeezed tightly shut as she begged for more. Lily complied instantly, quickening the pace of her finger, that was covered in her girlfriend's slick juices. She bit her lip, calculating what to do next, before slowly slipping in another finger, causing Ava to cry out at the added digit.  
'Fuck' Ava groaned, her nails digging into Lily's back as she held the brunette in place. Lily watched with wide eyes as, after a few moments, Ava came undone beneath her. She watched as the other girl's body shook and she let out a long moan of pleasure. Lily continued to pump her fingers, unsure of whether to stop or not, until Lily, who was quickly growing sensitive, gripped her wrist to stall her. Lily froze, her fingers still resting inside of her girlfriend, and the two stayed just like that, in perfect bliss.  
'I love you' Ava gasped, before she leaned up to place a tender, loving kiss upon the other girl's lips.  
'I love you too' Lily replied, amazed by what she had witnessed. What she had done with her own hands.

Emily looked down at her hands as she washed dishes. She stood in the quiet the kitchen, only the faint sounds of the tv in the background breaking the silence, and wished that the girls and Alison would just suddenly appear. It had only been 2 months, and already she missed them like crazy. It was safe to say that she was more than over this separation thing. She wanted to go home.  
'Jude! Could you come here for a sec?' She called over her shoulder into the direction of the living room, where the young boy had been sitting watching cartoons all afternoon. She heard the tv go quiet, indicating that he had paused it, followed by the soft thuds of footsteps.  
'Yeah Momma?' He replied, causing Emily to grab a dishcloth to dry her hands, as she turned to face her son.  
'How do you like your new school?' She asked curiously, her head tilted to the side, as she wiped the suds from her hands on the cloth.  
'It's ok I guess' Jude replied simply, his brow furrowed at the strange question. 'People are weird here though' he added thoughtfully.  
'What do you mean?' Emily asked, her own brow forehead furrowing at the random statement.  
'I don't know, they're just...weird' he replied with a shrug. 'Yesterday, I heard a boy at the beach say he was going to 'shred some gnarl'…. I don't even know what that means' he expanded with wide eyes, as he recalled the incident.

Emily chuckled at her son's words. She remembered back when she had first moved to California, and she herself struggled trying to understand Californian slang and constantly coming up baffled at the strange words they used.  
'Ok, so people are weird' she agreed with a bob of her head. 'But people are weird everywhere, buddy. I guess what I'm asking is...if you had a choice between staying here or going home, what would you want to do?' She asked, deciding that she should just ask the question outright, rather than beating about the bush and talking in riddles. Jude was a clever boy, he would figure it out eventually anyway. The brunette boy stood in thought for a moment, before answering.  
'Well, I like that we live close to the beach here, but...I miss Mom. I think I'd go home' He admitted sheepishly, not wanting to disappoint his Mom. Emily nodded her head just once, as she chewed on the inside of her cheek. She was silent for two whole minutes, as she considered their options, before she spoke again.  
'So, let's go home then' she finally said.

Grace sat alone in the living room, her mind working overtime to hatch up a plan that would make Emily come home. She had her eyes glued to her phone as she searched up the symptoms of various serious diseases. Nothing too serious that her parents would be distraught, but serious enough that her Mom would come home for long enough to convince her to stay. She was looking up trying to decide whether Pneumonia would be serious enough, and trying to figure out how she would fake such an illness, when she heard her Mom's voice float from the kitchen next door.  
'Pam!? Are you ok?'  
Grace's eyes shot up from the screen in front of her, and she instantly ran into the kitchen. She rounded the door frame to find Pam on the floor with Alison leaning over the woman, who had collapsed into a heap while clutching her chest.  
'Grace, call 911!'

* * *

 **Sooooo, not much to say at the end here, other than AVILY HAD SEX!  
I know that some of you were eagerly anticipating this moment, but it's finally come! (LOL!)  
And poor Pam! Will this be the thing that makes Emily come home for good? Will she pull through? I guess you'll have to wait and see in the next chapter!**

 **Until then,  
Much love  
Lo  
xx**


	22. Breathe

**Oooook my favourite people. It's been a while, but I am back with a monster chapter for you! This is, to date, the biggest chapter that I've had to fight with and boooooy was it draining! It sits at a comfortable 13.2k words, which is just...crazy, quite frankly, especially considering I've cut a LOT out of it. I had so much more that I wanted to include in this, but honestly, when I planned it, it didn't seem a huge amount of content, but it grew so much while I was writing, I realised I was going to have about 30,000 words, and like, seriously there a full fics that are that length, SO I have decided that there will be an extra chapter, featuring everything that I cut out of this, since it'll all happen around the same time-ish, followed by a sort of epilogue-style chapter to finish. In summary, there are 2 CHAPTERS LEFT!**

 **While I'm here, I want to thank every single person who is still reading, because I know my updates have grown sporadic, and I never wanted to be that sort of writer, but life happens and things change, and there's not really that much that can be done about it. I do really appreciate every single person that still reading and has been there from the start. It's been a journey, right?! (I actually re-read the whole fic over the past few days, and my god I forgot how much we've been through!)  
To all the people that joined late to the party, I appreciate you too! **  
**I really do appreciate every single person that takes the time to read, and especially comment, because it makes this whole thing so worth it.**

 **I also just wanted to apologise to anyone who wasn't overly keen on the Avily scenes in the previous chapter (1 scene in particular had a few people a liiiiittle peeved). I just want to say that I wrote that scene because it was one that is requested a lot from people who are fans of Avily. I have been getting requests for quite some time, and I specifically put it off until they were older story-wise. In that chapter they were 16 and 17, which while I know isn't 'of age' in the US, it is perfectly legal here in the UK, so please bare that in mind. If you don't like the content of that particular scene, just scroll on through. I will be none the wiser and will not be offended :)**

 **Anyway, go read. I've rambled enough!**

 **Lo**

 **xx  
**

* * *

Emily hummed to herself as she stirred the sauce in the pot. Having spent years cooking for a family of five, it had been quite the adjustment having to only cook for two, but she was hopeful that things would be different soon. Having had a long chat with Jude earlier that day, she had come to a decision, and she couldn't wait for her nightly phone call with Alison later that evening to talk about it. Her phone suddenly vibrated loudly, buzzing its way across the counter, and Emily's face instantly lit up when she saw that it was her Wife calling, unexpectedly early. She hit the answer icon on her screen and placed the phone to her ear, her smile growing by the second.

'Hey baby, I was just thinking about you'  
'Emily...' Alison's voice was quiet and raw, and held a depth that Emily had never heard before, but she instantly got a sense of urgency from the other woman.  
'What's wrong? Are you ok? Are the girls ok?' Emily rambled, her smile dropping from her face, as a series of scenarios ran through her mind, each more terrible than the one before. Alison gulped and closed her eyes, not wanting to have this conversation over the phone. Not when it was so terrible.  
'You need to come home, right away' She replied simply, bracing herself to say those dreaded words, because she knew that she was about to break her Wife's heart. Her own tears were falling softly down her cheeks as she peered through the window of the room, her heart breaking all the more at the sight of her two girls holding each other as their own tears flooded down their faces.

'What? Why?' Emily asked in panic, her hand that had previously been stirring the sauce on the stove, now coming to a complete stop. 'Ali, what happened?' She asked, causing Alison's stomach to knot as she knew that now was the time. The time she would have to break the news she didn't want to break.  
'Its...It's your Mom' She said softly, her own tears growing thicker and falling faster with every word, because she didn't want to say it aloud, especially not to her Wife.  
'Tell me she's ok' Emily replied numbly, her heart pummelling against her chest and her stomach felt like it was in her throat. That fateful lump had formed low down in her oesophagus, and Emily could feel her tears threatening to fall already.  
'No, baby. She's not ok' Alison confirmed, her own vision blurred with tears as she spoke.  
'What happened?' Emily choked, her tears falling freely. She never thought this would happen. She thought her Mom had years left in her. That she would still be flying around Rosewood for ten more years, at least. Never did she think that she would find herself in this situation again. Away from home, and having to take that long, horrific journey back to Rosewood to bury the person who had given her life and made her the person that she was.

She didn't hear the rest of the words that Alison said. The world seemed to spin and the ground suddenly felt far less stable than it did a few seconds ago. Emily sobbed into the phone, while Alison cried on the other end. Her heart was breaking for her Wife, for their children and for herself. She wasn't entirely sure how to deal with her own grief though, her heart breaking at the loss of the woman who had become a Mother to her too over the years. She guessed she would just learn to put it aside and take care of her family, because she knew that in that moment, they would need her more than ever. And so that was what she did. Alison took care of things so well, that Emily barely had to think about anything. The next thing she knew, she and Jude were on the next available flight from LAX, and it really was all too reminiscent of the day that her Father had died. The day she had come to this very airport and endured the longest flight back to Rosewood. She had told herself that day, that she would never do that flight again, not under those circumstances, and yet, she had somehow managed to find herself in that situation twice. Just like before, she arrived to the airport to be greeted by Alison, who wrapped both Emily and Jude into a tight, yet tender hug. Both women's eyes were filled with unshed tears and looked exhausted from crying, not that they mentioned it to each other.

'Hey babe' Alison whispered into Emily's ear, as she held her Wife close to her for the first time in a little over a month.  
'Hey' The brunette mumbled back, her throat sore from the crying she had done. Alison placed the softest of kisses upon Emily's lips, before turning to Jude. Emily zoned out on that conversation, her mind wandering and a numb feeling taking over her body. It was the same numbness from all those years ago, when her Dad had left this world. The same feeling of helplessness. She felt herself being pulled through the airport, Alison's hand in hers, guiding her towards the outside. She felt the gentle breeze hit her, the coolness of the air, that was much different from what she had quickly acclimatised to in California. The next thing she knew, she was being pulled into a hug by someone who wasn't Alison. The perfume was different, yet familiar. It took her a few seconds to realise that it was Hanna who was holding her in a bear hug.  
'Hey, Em' The blonde greeted sadly, and when she finally let go of her death-grip and backed up, Emily noticed that she too had those tell-tale red rings around her eyes. 'I didn't think it was safe for Ali to drive, so I drove her here' Hanna explained, somewhat awkwardly, as though she felt as if she shouldn't be there, which Emily found ridiculous, because her Mom practically helped raise Hanna, as well as the other girls. She wished she could express this. Tell Hanna how fond her Mom was of the blonde. How she had said once upon a time that she liked Hanna the most because she was 'a simple girl'. She wished she could say anything at all.  
'Thanks' Was all she could seem to muster, before she climbed into the back of the car, followed by Jude, who leaned into Emily's side with a glum look upon his face. The car remained in silence the entire ride back to Rosewood, with Alison periodically peering through the rear-view mirror to take a look at Emily, who had remained staring out of the window the entire time.

It felt like they were in the car for hours before they finally pulled up to their house, Hanna smoothly pulling her car into the driveway before shutting off the vehicle. None of them moved for a long moment, before Emily finally unclipped her seatbelt, shifted Jude, who was still leaning into her side, and got out of the car. Hanna watched silently, along with Alison, neither of them moving to follow.  
'Can I go inside?' Jude asked softly after a few moments passed, looking to Alison for confirmation that it was ok to follow his other Mom inside. Alison turned to look at her Son, a small, sympathetic smile gracing her lips as she looked at the boy, who was more sensitive than any of the four women in that house combined.  
'Yeah, baby' she confirmed with a soft nod of the head, her hand reaching back to gently squeeze Jude's knee as a form of comfort. 'I'll be inside in a sec' Alison added, before pulling her hand back. She watched silently as the pre-pubescent boy got out of the car and head towards the house with a glum expression on his face.  
'Ali, as much as I love your company, you can't sit out here forever' Hanna stated softly after a few more moments passed and the blonde still hadn't moved from the car. Alison let out a heavy breath and nodded, looking from her hands to the blonde beside her before chewing anxiously on her lips.  
'I don't know what to say to her' Alison confessed sadly, because she never in her life thought that she would be at a loss for words where Emily was concerned. Through the good and the bad, they had both known exactly what to do and say. This time Alison had no idea, and it made her feel lost.

Hanna nodded her head in understanding, her lips pursing together in a single thin line as she took a second to think before speaking, something that she wasn't usually known for.  
'Honestly, Ali' she started, tenderly placing her hand over Alison's as it rested on the other woman's thigh. 'I don't think there's anything you can say. I mean, she lost her Mom. That was always going to be hard on her' Hanna pointed out, her voice remaining calm and as Alison looked into the eyes of the other blonde, she could see that even Hanna was struggling with the loss of Pam Fields. A soft sadness lingered in her eyes that Alison wasn't sure she'd ever really seen before.  
'All you need to do is just be there for her. Let her lean on you when things are tough. And when she's leaning on you, you lean on me, and Spencer and Aria, because trust me, we're all standing right behind you' Hanna finished by softly squeezing Alison's hand, who was struggling to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat and keep her tears at bay.  
'Thanks' she managed to squeeze out, causing Hanna to give her a small smile that said 'no worries'.  
'Now, get the hell out of my car and go hold your woman. She needs you' Hanna said in a more firm, slightly more playful voice, because honestly she knew that if she didn't lighten the mood just a small amount, both she and Alison would end up bawling all over her leather interior, and that was not something she wanted to happen.

Alison made her way into the house, stopping on the porch to wave goodbye to Hanna, as she backed up out of the driveway and sped off down the road. She turned to face the door, taking a deep breath to steady herself, before she made her way into the house. She instantly headed towards the living room, to find Emily holding Jude, Grace and Lily tight, while Ava was cuddled into Spencer's side, the young blonde's eyes puffy and red. Alison stood in the doorway awkwardly, catching eye contact with Spencer, who silently asked if she was ok. Alison bit down on the corner of her mouth in hesitation before nodding softly and looking down at her hands.  
'I love you all, so so much' Emily mumbled into Grace's head, before placing soft kisses into all three of her children's hairs while she fought to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. She looked up over Grace's head to look at Alison, who she instantly realised was looking right back at her. Blue eyes met brown, and Emily blinked as she looked away again, causing the blonde to frown.  
'I'll make some tea' Alison said gruffly, before turning and heading to the kitchen. She leaned her hands against the counter and bowed her head, her eyes slamming shut as she tried desperately to hold back tears.

An hour passed and still, Alison had barely managed to get her Wife to look in her direction, let alone speak to her. So, she focused her energy on their children, coming to the conclusion that Emily would come to her when she was ready. She sat on the couch with Jude cuddled into her, the eleven year old's cheek squished into her leg as she mindlessly ran her fingers through his shaggy hair while she kept her eyes on the movie that played on the TV, not that she was focusing on it. Emily on the other hand was sat on the other couch staring mindlessly at the wall, while Lily and Ava cuddled up together at the other end of the same sofa. Grace had gone up to her bedroom around a half hour ago, claiming that she was tired, but Alison knew that the teenager was struggling to keep her emotions under control, and the younger brunette wasn't one to cry in public. If anyone understood the need to cry alone, it was Alison, and so she left her daughter to herself for a while. She looked over at Lily and Ava, a soft hint of a smile forming on her lips at the sight of the young couple cuddled up, Lily's eyes closed signalling that she was asleep, while Ava lay on her back with the brunette cuddled into her side, her eyes fixed on the ceiling as she played with Lily's hair.

Alison was pulled from her thoughts by the sight of Emily standing from the couch. She watched the other woman walk across the living room, her eyes narrowing as Emily pulled on her jacket.  
'Where are you going?' Alison asked curiously, her voice remaining low and soft, so as not to disturb the peace that had somehow formed throughout the room. Emily didn't respond right away, in fact she barely even looked in her Wife's direction, her eyes fixed on her jacket zipper as she pulled it up her body.  
'I need to get some fresh air' she eventually replied, glancing briefly to look at Alison, before looking away again as she chewed nervously on her bottom lip.  
'Ok well, let me call Spencer. I'll see if she can come over again to keep the kids company and I'll come with you' Alison suggested, as she gently scratched behind Jude's ear to signal him that he needed to sit up now. The young boy moved sluggishly, lifting himself from his Mother's lap and cuddling into the cushion at the opposite end of the couch. Alison shuffled to stand, reaching for her phone from the coffee table.  
'Ali, I- I want to go alone' Emily said quietly, her tone filled with regret, and Alison couldn't hide the look of hurt that crossed her face. She swallowed hard, as a lump formed in her throat and her mind filled with painful thoughts regarding their relationship and how damaged it seemed to be right now.

'Ok' she managed to croak, her throat tight and her eyes filled with a sadness that Emily just couldn't cope with in that moment. The brunette felt guilty and while a part of her wanted to take it back and make her Wife feel better, she just didn't have it in her. So, she nodded a single nod and walked out of the room. Alison sat in a numb shock, as she heard the front door close with a soft click. She wanted to follow the brunette because she knew that Emily was only acting like this because she was grieving, she needed to make sure that her Wife was ok. Though another part of her wanted to scream at the brunette. She wanted to yell at her and shake her, because she was just being so insensitive and dismissive right now, and it was making Alison feel even crappier than she already did, and she just didn't know how to fix it. Alison tapped her phone against her hand, before sitting back in thought. She looked over to Ava and Lily, who were now both sleeping peacefully, before looking back over to Jude, who was looking at her with a lost look in his eyes. Alison let out a sigh and gave her son a small smile, before holding out her arm to signify that he could cuddle back in. The brunette boy scurried across the couch and cuddled into his Mom's side, both of them relaxing as she wrapped a protective arm around him and placed a soft kiss into his hair.

Emily took a deep breath before pushing her way through the door into the sterile room. The clinical environment made the already chilly room seem that much colder and somewhat impersonal, and if it weren't for the many, many doors that lined the walls of the room, she could almost forget why she was here. Almost.  
'Emily DiLaurentis-Fields?' A man asked, as if he didn't already know who she was. Of course, judging by the sympathetic look he was giving her, Emily knew that he already knew perfectly well that she was who he thought she was. Still, she nodded in response, unable to get her words out, her eyes were locked on the white cloth in front of her, knowing exactly what was beneath it.  
'Are you ready?' The mortician asked again, wanting to check that she was prepared for this, purely because he didn't want yet another person to faint in his morgue. Again, Emily just nodded, even though nothing could prepare her for this. Not in a million years would she be prepared for this. He watched her carefully for a second before gingerly taking the white cloth and peeling it back, and Emily wasn't sure whether she wanted to cry or pass out of throw up, or maybe all three at once. She clapped a hand over her mouth, as she looked down upon the body of her Mother, the autopsy already having taken place, which was evident by the long incision that had been cut down the length of the older woman's body.

'Oh my god' Emily gasped, her eyes filling with thick tears. Ten seconds. Ten seconds was all it took before she found herself running out of the room with her hand still clapped over her mouth, only stopping when she reached a waste bin outside. She leaned against the plastic bin, her hands digging into the rim as she felt bile rise in her throat, causing her to violently throw up. Her tears were now falling thick and fast until her vision was blurred, though that didn't stop the image of her Mother from creeping into her mind. She wasn't sure that she would ever rid that image from her memories. The cold, lifelessness of the woman who held so much life in her, and the way her usually glowing skin had begun to turn shades of yellow and purple.

Lily cuddled into Ava's side, her head resting comfortably against her girlfriend's shoulder as the blonde soothingly ran her fingers through long, dark locks. They had been laying on the bed for a while now, neither of them talking much at all, but content nonetheless.  
'You ok?' Ava asked, her voice heavy as it broke the silence of the room. 'You're quiet' she added, as she tilted her head slightly to look down at the girl in her arms.  
'Yeah' Lily whispered in response, not daring to look up into her girlfriend's eyes, because she knew that if she did she would start crying again, and she had already done enough crying to last a lifetime. 'I just...I miss her already' she explained with a heavy sigh, her fingers toying with the cord of Ava's sweatpants as she spoke. Ava pouted slightly at the brunette's admission, before leaning to place a firm kiss against the girl's head.  
''She was an amazing lady, with the kindest heart' Ava stated, as she looked back up at the ceiling, her own heart hurting at the loss of the woman who had practically helped to raise her like she was her own. 'I loved her like she was my own Grandma. A lot of people did' she confessed honestly, because she really did feel that way. Lily bit down hard on her bottom lip in an effort to stop it from trembling, as she nodded in agreement.

'She loved you too' the brunette managed to reply, though her throat was tight and she felt as though there was a brick in her throat. Ava smiled at the admission, because it really did mean a lot to her. Lily took a deep breath, pushing back the sadness that consumed her and smiled as she remembered the happier memories with her Grandma.  
'You know, she once told me that when our Moms were younger, she felt like she had five daughters, instead of the one, and with us, it's like she has a dozen grandchildren' Lily stated, her eyes fixed firmly on the wall across from her. She knew that if she looked up at the blonde, the somewhat strong exterior she was putting on would crumble, and she'd end up a mess. Ava couldn't help but smile softly at this. It was just so, Pam Fields. The older woman prided herself in being a 'Mom' to everyone.  
'I always felt as close to her as I do my own Grams' Ava said fondly, as she thought of the times she, Lily and Grace would end up back at the Fields' residence after school. The older woman would supply them with copious amounts of baked goods, and was the best cook that Ava knew. Far better than her own Grandma, whose idea of cooking was boiling pasta or heating up a frozen pizza.  
'I thought she'd live forever, honestly. She'd be there front and centre the day we get married, with a big smile. Just like she was at your Moms.' The blonde continued with a sad smile, her fingers raking through Lily's long dark hair.  
'Yeah...me too' the other teenager replied softly, her mouth pulled into a straight line as her eyes remained on the wall across. She wasn't sure why these words put a knot in her stomach, all she knew what that she felt sick and anxious, and something didn't feel right.

Alison sat on the couch, her anxiety rising by the second. She couldn't help but feel a little lost in this situation. Sure, she knew what it felt like to lose a Mother, she had lost her own at only 17, but her own loss was very different to Emily's. Alison knew that her relationship with her own Mom, was very different to Emily and Pam's, and it was for that reason that the blonde really didn't know what to say to her Wife.  
'I just feel like she doesn't want me around right now' she mumbled, as she picked at her fingers and chewed on the inside of her bottom lip. She wanted to cry, but she was sure that once she started she wouldn't stop. Everything had been so messed up over the past year or so, and Alison had barely felt like she was holding on as it was. With this on top, she truly felt like she was at breaking point.  
'Ali, you and Em have been through so much together...' Spencer began, pausing as she tried to find the words to say that would calm her friend, because if she was honest, she wasn't sure if she could handle a crying Alison. It was something she'd seen only a handful of times, and it never got easier to watch.  
'I know we have, Spence, but what else am I to think?' The blonde asked, her words croaking in her throat as she held back tears. 'She's barely said two words to me since she got back. I've tried to comfort her, I've given her space, I've tried to talk to her, I'm running out of options here' Alison added almost frantically, panic setting in as her mind began to go to places she did not want it to go. 'I don't even know where she is right now, and I don't know how to deal with this'

The second Alison finished her sentence, the front door opened, causing her head to shoot up. She was out of her seat quicker than anything and running to the door to see her Wife.  
'Hey, you ok?' She asked semi-awkwardly, because she wasn't sure what sort of mood Emily was in right now.  
'As ok as I can be, I guess' the brunette replied with a sigh, her face filled with exhaustion, and all Alison wanted to do was wrap the other woman up in her arms and hold her.  
'Where did you go?' She asked in the most casual voice possible, trying anything to get her Wife to open up to her. They had never gone so long without talking, and it was worrying Alison, quite frankly, mostly because she wasn't sure why Emily wasn't talking to her.  
'For a walk' came the simple reply, the same bored tone upon Emily's voice as before, clearly saying that she was bored with this conversation already, but Alison could see in her eyes that she was hiding something.  
'Em...' She pressed gently, taking a step in closer. She reached out with her hand to place it on Emily's forearm, only for her to pull back out of the blonde's reach.  
'What, Ali? What do you want!?' Emily snapped, her eyes colder than Alison had ever seen them, though she could see the pain that settled there deep down.  
'I want you to talk to me' Alison replied softly, not wanting to raise her voice at the woman in front of her. Emily, however, didn't seem to have that same concern, as she grew more and more irate by the second.

'Well I don't want to talk, ok? So stop suffocating me and just let me be!' The brunette shouted louder, and Alison couldn't believe that her calm and placid Wife, who hated raising her voice and rarely shouted, was practically on the verge of screaming at her.  
'I'm not trying to suffocate you, babe. I just think-' Alison kept her voice calm, though admittedly it was hard to not rise to the other woman's shouting.  
'God, would you stop fucking pushing me for ten fucking minutes!?' Emily interrupted, her hands coming up to rake through her hair as though this were the most stressful situation in the world, while Alison watched with wide eyes, unsure of what to do or say. 'All you do is push, Ali! You're pushing me to talk to you, just like you pushed me to take the job in California. I didn't want to go, but you pushed me into it, and this is the result! I lost out on the last few months with my Mom, because you pushed me to take our son across the fucking country!' The brunette ranted, and her raised voice began to alert the house. Spencer, who had been trying to stay out of the married couple's business, was now at Alison's side and ready to step in, because it seemed like this was getting out of hand. Meanwhile, Lily, Grace, Jude and Ava peered around their bedroom doors to listen to the chaos that was erupting downstairs.

'You think I wanted this to happen?' Alison asked in disbelief, because as upset as Emily was, she never expected the other woman to throw all of that back in her face. She had honestly thought she was doing the right thing by encouraging Emily to take the job in California. Never in a million years did she think anything like this would happen, and if she had thought for a second that her Wife didn't want to take the job, then she would have never pushed her into it. Emily, apparently, didn't see it that way.  
'I don't know, Alison! I don't fucking know! All I know is I'm sick of it! I'm sick of being pushed around and acting like the doting wife, and I'm sick of you!' Her hands moved erratically as she took her frustrations out on the blonde woman.  
'Emily, you need to calm down' Spencer said in a calm, yet firm voice, while hoping that she wasn't overstepping. Emily froze in her tracks, her chest heaving as she tried to calm herself down. She knew she was being unreasonable, and the hurt look in Alison's eyes was painful to see, knowing that she was the cause of it. She closed her eyes for a second, swallowing hard before she spoke again.  
'You know what, I'm just going to go back out. I'll see you later' she murmured in resignation, knowing that she needed to get out and clear her head before she really lost it. Emily turned and stepped towards the front door, causing Alison to automatically follow.  
'Emily' she sighed, as she grabbed her jacket from the hook.  
'Don't follow me, Ali' she said firmly over her shoulder, before slamming the door shut behind her.

Alison's shoulder's sunk, as she watched the brunette walk out of the door again, fighting back the urge to go after her. Spencer's hand rested on her shoulder, anchoring her in place, as if she knew what was going through the blonde's mind.  
'She'll be back. Just let her calm down' the taller woman stated confidently, both of them staring at the door that the other woman had just exited.  
'Is Mom gone again?' Grace asked from the top of the stairs, causing Alison to turn with slightly widened eyes, because she didn't want their children to have heard all that. She could tell from the angry look on her daughter's face that she had heard enough.  
'Yeah, she uh...just had to go back out again' The older woman lied, wanting to downplay what had just happened, because the last thing she needed was Grace getting worked up about this too. The teenager was already struggling, she had been for a few months, and Alison was worried that all the chaos and upset was going to tip her daughter over the edge.  
'Is everything ok?' Lily asked, as she appeared beside her sister, a look of concern clearly written across her features.  
'Yeah, everything's fine' Alison sighed, though her face and voice stated differently. 'Just go back to your rooms. I'll call you guys when dinner is here' she added, flashing the teenagers a tight lipped smile in an effort to reassure them.

Lily and Grace looked to each other and back to their Mom, before turning away and heading back to Lily's room, tailed closely by Ava and Jude. Lily closed the door behind them, while Grace paced back and forth across the room, and Jude and Ava situated themselves on the bed. Ava wrapped a protective arm around the pre-pubescent boy, who looked both frightened and sad at what he had just overheard. He had spent a little over two months away from his family, and now everything seemed to be messed up, and he wasn't entirely sure what was going to happen.  
'Did you hear the way Mom spoke to her!?' Grace ranted, her face reddening with anger at her Mother.  
'I've never heard them fight like that before' Lily stated softly, her voice barely above a whisper, as she watched her unhinged sister practically wear holes in the carpet.  
'Right? It's like, she fucks off to California for a couple of months, and then she comes back a bitch!' The other brunette stated loudly, causing Lily and Ava's eyebrows to shoot up, because Grace had always had a close relationship with Emily, and would never say a bad word against her.  
'Grace, you know that it's just because she's upset' Lily tried to reason with her sister, knowing as well as her Mom had, that the other teen was about to blow up.

'We're all fucking upset, Lily!' Grace yelled, as she span on her heels to face her sister. 'But we're not screaming at Mom, like it's her fault!' She added, the fire inside of her growing by the second.  
'Grace, you need to calm down' Lily warned in a low voice, her eyes trained on her sister's, silently pleading with the brunette to take a breath and think about what she was doing before she got too worked up. Grace felt tears spring in her eyes. It was all too hard. She couldn't handle it anymore. She let out a low growl and kicked the waste paper basket across the room, before storming out of the door and down the stairs. Alison, who had heard the commotion from upstairs, came running back out to the hall just in time to see Grace fly down the stairs.  
'Grace!?'  
The teenager stormed out the door, much like her Mom had just ten minutes beforehand, causing Alison to let out a heavy breath of exhaustion.  
'Do you want me to go after her?' Spencer asked, her mouth pulled into a thin line, because quite frankly, the whole family was falling to pieces, and it was hard to watch.  
'Please' Alison replied with a nod of the head, her head falling backwards on her shoulders, as if it suddenly weighted far too much to hold up.  
'Hang in there' Spencer encouraged, giving Alison's hand a quick squeeze, before she headed out the door in search of the younger girl.

Emily walked through the darkened streets of Rosewood, each street holding a different memory of the woman who had raised her, and her life in the small town. It seemed like the older Fields woman was everywhere she went. Every corner, every streetlight, every tree, held a piece of her Mom, and Emily wasn't sure whether that was comforting or soul destroying. She stopped by The Grill and looked in the window, watching as groups of friends and family members ate together, laughing and joking amongst themselves without a care in the world. She hated that for al these people, the world was still spinning and life was continuing, while she felt as though her own had significantly slowed down, to an almost complete stand still. She watched a couple in a booth in the far corner, the girl laughed as the guy leaned over and fed her a french fry. It was the same booth that she and Alison had used time and time again. A booth that held so many significant memories, but it was only one that stood out in that moment. The almost 18 year old memory, seemed like it was just yesterday.

 _Emily and Alison sat huddled together in a side booth, neither of them particularly thrilled to be sat in the restaurant. While Alison was the one fighting the nausea that had plagued her or the past few months, it was Emily that looked like she was about to hurl._  
 _'She's late' The brunette stated simply, her voice low as her foot tapped anxious, her fingers cupping her chin as she leaned into her hand. She was currently internally debating whether this was even a good idea at all, or whether she should just get up and leave._  
 _'She'll be here' Alison stated softly, as she looked across to the brunette beside her with nothing but compassion and sympathy. She could understand why her Girlfriend was nervous, she was sure she'd be feeling the same if the roles were reversed. She just wished there was something she could do to calm Emily, who had pretty much spent the past month or so with a perpetual look of fear and nervousness on her face._  
 _'Yeah, but she's late' Emily replied, her knee bouncing erratically beneath the table, causing the bench to jiggle a little. 'She's never late' she mumbled, as she stared at the door ahead of them, just waiting for the sight of the other woman._

 _Alison placed a firm hand on the other woman's knee in an effort to stop the movement, that was not helping her own nausea in the slightest. Emily looked over apologetically, instantly stilling the motions and shifting her position._  
 _'Just relax. She probably just got held up in traffic' Alison said softly, knowing that her girlfriend was reading too much into everything at the moment. Both women were more than aware that while they had, just about, gotten their heads around the prospect of the baby that was comfortably baking in Alison's stomach, the rest of the world might not fully understand, and that was a horrifying thought. Neither of them needed anyone to be telling them that this was a bad idea, more for the fact that they didn't want anyone to give them doubts about this already difficult decision._  
 _'What if she doesn't accept this, Ali?' Emily asked with a heavy breath, as she turned to look into the calming blue eyes of the woman she had loved for longer than she could remember. The woman who, even though they had only just become an official couple, already knew her better than anyone. The woman whose fingers were tenderly and lovingly combing through her hair in an effort to ease her stress, because she knew that the brunette needed comfort right now._

 _'Would it change the way you feel about it all?' Alison asked after a few moments silence, a thoughtfulness in her voice that wasn't missed by Emily._  
 _'No, of course not' she practically blurted, not wanting the blonde to think for a second that she was going to change her mind about this. Even though the whole situation was...unusual, to say the least, and yeah, she had been terrified when she found out Alison was carrying her child, now she just wanted them to enjoy this moment. The circumstances around the other woman's pregnancy were less than ideal, and if she was honest the thought of what A.D had done to the blonde still made her skin crawl, because she had never heard of anything as disgusting and violating as what this person had done to her now girlfriend. However, it was this child that had finally brought them together, and they were getting a chance to bring a life into the world, and raise them together as a unit, and that felt simply amazing._  
 _'Then nothing else matters' Alison replied simply, a small smile gracing her lips. 'Look, she might need some time to get her head around it, and while I doubt that she'll be over the moon about it right away, I know that she'll come around' she reasoned, their eyes locked upon each other, causing a somewhat calmness to fall over them. 'She did when you came out, she'll do the same now. She loves you, Emily, and it's because of that, that I know things will be ok'_

 _A light jingle rang through the near empty restaurant, causing Emily and Alison to look over at the door. Emily's stomach flipped at the sight of her Mom walking in their direction, and Alison had to admit, even she was a little nervous about how this was going to play out._  
 _'Hi girls, sorry I'm late. I bumped into Ashley on the way over here. Did you know Hanna and Caleb got married?' The older woman rambled, a huge smile plastered across her face as she made her way over to the table and slid into the booth, situating herself opposite Emily and Alison, one of whom had both come across a deathly pale at her Mother's appearance._  
 _'Yeah, we uh, we know' Emily replied rather awkwardly as she scratched at the back of her head, her words getting stuck in her throat, and god she just wanted this night to be over. Alison, took a breath, sliding her hand onto the brunette's thigh in an effort to ease her, though she knew that she was going to have to be the stronger one of the two of them tonight._  
 _'And you didn't tell me?' Pam asked in surprise, her voice slightly higher pitched than usual. 'Emily, I thought you knew better than to keep me out of the gossip!' she added playfully. Emily noticed how the older woman's eyes glistened happily and her smile never once faltered, and she thought about how she was about to watch that fade away in a second, as soon as she said those words._

 _'Sorry Mom' she mumbled, putting on her best apologetic look, though she was sure that she just looked like she was about to throw up. Luckily, Alison jumped in, desperate to save her girlfriend from spilling the beans in a less than sensitive way._  
 _'We only just found out ourselves, actually' the blonde stated with a smile, her confidence oozing, and it seriously impressed Emily every time she saw how quickly the other girl could push aside her real feelings and put out a confidence and charm that soared. 'We didn't know about it until afterwards. I think they wanted it to be small. Intimate. You know?' She added, her smile never dropping for a second, and Emily noticed that her Mom seemed to be taken in, though that didn't surprise he. The older woman had been obsessed with Alison since she found out that her daughter had had a teenage crush on the blonde, and Emily had barely been able to get through a meal time or even a quick coffee catch up with her Mom, without Alison's name being brought up._

 _'Well, I guess that's nice' Pam mused, tilting her head to the side a little as she contemplated the idea of a small, intimate gathering. 'It's a shame though, I bought a new hat a few months back for your cousin Kevin's wedding, but obviously that got called off, and I've not had a chance to wear it' she stated, directing her words to her daughter, who was only able to offer a nod and a tight-lipped smile in response. Emily picked up her glass, sipping on the water in an effort to clear her unusually dry throat. She had known that this would be difficult, but she hadn't bargained on her Mom being_ quiet _so eccentric tonight. She felt Alison's hand gently squeeze her thigh, the blonde's silent signal that she was doing great and this would be ok._  
 _'Anyway, enough of me rambling on' the older woman started again, her hand motions growing more and more wild by the second. 'How have you both been? Alison? Are you holding up ok?' She asked, turning to the blonde, who plastered her best smile and was able to successfully hide her worry about the brunette beside her, who quite frankly looked like she was about to have a coronary. Alison was sure that she could see tiny beads of sweat forming across her Girlfriend's brow, and while it amused her a little seeing Emily so worked up, she also didn't want the other woman to be under too much pressure._

 _'Yeah, I'm doing great!' Alison answered, her smile growing and seeming more genuine by the second. 'Being back at work is a big distraction, and obviously, Em's been a great help' she added, looking across to the brunette, who was still sipping away at her water, too scared to put the glass down through fear that she would blurt out the news about Alison's pregnancy, just to get it over with. Emily didn't miss the glint in her Mother's eye. That same glint she had had all those years ago when Alison came back to Rosewood, and Pam insisted on having her over for dinner. The older woman had admitted that she wanted to see them together, having realised that there was more than just friendship there, and that was the start of years of Emily suffering through her Mother trying aimlessly to push the two of them together, despite the younger brunette declaring that Alison was straight, and definitely not interested in her like that._  
 _'Good' Pam replied with a nod, her lips curving into a warm smile as she looked between Emily and Alison. The older brunette cupped her hands around the glass of water in front of her as she leaned forwards onto her elbows. 'You know, I was a little disappointed when I heard you got married, Alison. I always thought there was something special between you and Emily that maybe-' Her words were interrupted by a wide-eyed Emily, who choked on her water and was now spluttering, while Alison tapped her on the back, trying her best to hide a giggle at her girlfriend's misfortune._

 _'You ok?' Alison asked in concern, though Emily didn't miss the look of amusement that glistened in blue eyes._  
 _'Yeah' the brunette choked as she eyed her Mother, who looked away guiltily. 'Yeah. Wrong hole. Sorry' She stated as she placed her glass on the table, clearing her throat to stop the tickle that was now evident from almost drowning herself._  
 _'Sorry, I shouldn't have said that' Pam apologised, looking from her daughter to the blonde beside her, who was still looking over the younger brunette with clear concern. Alison let out a soft sigh and turned to face the older Fields woman, biting on her bottom lip for a second before opening her mouth to speak._  
 _'No, it's ok. I uh...actually, that's kind of why we asked you to meet us for dinner' She informed Pam, whose eyes lit up almost instantly. 'The both of us' Alison added, as she tenderly took Emily's hand in her own and rested them on top of the table. The older woman's eyes flickered from the younger women's faces to their hands, and back again, as she clearly tried to work out if she was understanding correctly._  
 _'You mean...?' Her question trailed off, as her smile grew wider._

 _'Ali and I are together. As a couple' Emily confirmed with a nod of the head, knowing that the next piece of news was just moments away, and she wasn't sure her Mom would look as happy as she did bout this little piece of information. Right now, her Mom looked like she was about to burst with happiness, and Emily felt bad that she was about to take that away with this next bombshell._  
 _'Oh that's wonderful!' Pam gushed, clapping her hands together in excitement. 'I always knew it would happen. I mean, how could it not, you're both so beautiful! I think you could be the best looking couple in Rosewood' she rambled happily, and Emily felt that same uneasiness from before, practically overwhelm her again. Alison couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face at the mere thought of she and Emily finally being together. After years of fighting it, she realised very quickly that this was all she had ever wanted, and she hated that she had taken so long to allow herself to have it. She was very aware of the fact that she could have had Emily years ago, and maybe they could have avoided this whole mess. However, the thought of the other woman's baby growing within her filled her with love and pride, and regardless to how that happened, Alison wasn't sure she would ever want to lose that feeling._

 _'There's something else' Emily spoke up, her voice more serious and sombre than previously, and Pam's smile instantly dropped at her daughter's expression. For the first time that evening, she noticed that Emily was looking a little green around the gills and had an uncertainty in her eyes that she had only ever seen one other time. Emily glanced at Alison, before attempting to continue, the blonde giving her a subtle squeeze of the hand for encouragement._  
 _'Mom, there's a situation that a little...difficult to explain' Emily started, her heart hammering in her chest. She knew that her Mom would struggle with this information, and she knew the older woman would have a tonne of questions, that neither Emily or Alison would be able to answer._  
 _'Ok' Pam replied hesitantly, urging her daughter to continue, because the younger brunette had her worried to say the least, and her mind was quickly becoming filled with all sorts of possibilities._  
 _'I'm pregnant' Alison said softly, when Emily didn't seem to be able to get the words out._  
 _'With my child' Emily blurted in panic, causing Alison to side eye her and her Mom's eyes to narrow in confusion._

'Grace!' Spencer shouted, as she ran after the Seventeen year old, who she had to admit was pretty damn fast. 'Grace, stop!' She yelled again, only to be ignored. Spencer continued her steady jog, not wanting to over exert herself, while still trying to close the gap of several feet between them.  
'You know you can't out run me. I might be old but I'm still faster than you' She yelled again, causing the younger brunette to stop a few moments later. Spencer caught up to her quickly, the teenager resting her hands on her thighs and her breathing rapid and heavy as she tried to recover from her run. The older brunette rounded her, her heart dropping when she saw that Grace's face was flushed red with anger and her eyes were puffy, hot tears streaming down her cheeks.  
'Oh, honey' she breathed, as she instantly wrapped her arms around the teenager, who quickly broke down into the embrace.  
'Everything has all just gone to shit' Grace cried into Spencer's shirt, as harsh sobs wracked through her body. She felt as though everything from the past few years had just tipped her more and more over the edge. First off there was the school shooting a few years back, which had caused the start of the nightmares for Grace. She felt she was barely getting over that, when the whole ordeal with Aaron happened, and if she was honest, she still hadn't recovered from that shit storm. There were still nights when she couldn't sleep, nights where she woke up shivering and shaking in a cold sweat, while he haunted her dreams. There were days where she was saw she saw him on the street or in the halls of Rosewood High School. Then, when she was just beginning to cope again, her Mom left for California, leaving her feeling vulnerable and scared again. Grace had coped, purely because her other Mom and her Grandma had literally pulled her through, and now her Grandma was gone and her Moms were at each other's throats, and the teenager was just terrified that her family was going to fall apart.

'I know, sweetie. I know' Spencer hushed, as she held the crying teen close to her, mentally wondering what the hell she was supposed to say to her. She had always been close to the twins, Grace in particular, and their heart to hearts had started from when the younger brunette was just a child, having run away from home during an argument with Alison, and since then, Spencer would be the one to pull the other girl down from a ledge whenever Emily and Alison struggled to get through to her. Nobody knew what it was about Spencer, that seemed to calm Grace, they barely even questioned it, they were just glad that someone could get through to the stubborn teen. None of their heart to hearts ever came remotely close to this, though. Spencer had helped Grace through a lot, especially in the past year after the whole chaos with Aaron, but that seemed like a walk in the park compared to this.  
'You ok?' She asked, as Grace's sobbing calmed somewhat, and the smaller brunette pulled away from the hug she was being held in. The tanned girl blinked had, her eyes grainy and sore from the crying, and shrugged her shoulders.  
'I don't even know what ok is anymore' she said sadly, as she looked down at the ground with a downcast expression on her face.  
'Look, I know that things are awful right now, and you've been through a lot over the past year, but it will get better. I promise you that' Spencer stated, not wanting to be all preachy and positive, because she knew how annoying that was when things were falling to pieces, and you wanted to wallow in your misery, only to have someone all perky and cheery telling you to look on the bright side of life.

'It's going to be a rough ride, I'm not going to lie and your Moms are probably going to struggle through this too' Spencer continued. 'I mean, they're the strongest women I know, but they're human and they have their weaknesses, and I know that your Grandma meant so, so much to them... but they will be ok, and you will be ok. And, if you need someone, and your Moms are dealing with, whatever they're dealing with, you know you can come to me. Night or day' she finished, watching as Grace swallowed hard and nodded silently.  
'I'm mad at her' Grace stated after a moment, her voice soft and quiet. 'Mom, I mean. I'm mad at her for leaving when things were so bad. Then she came back, and all she did was shout and scream and get mad, other than that, she just sat and never said anything. I just want my Mom back' Grace admitted tearfully.  
'She's here. She's just a little lost right now' Spencer replied sadly, knowing how much Grace had missed Emily while she was gone, and knowing how she was struggling with Pam's passing. She had heard that Grace had been there when Pam collapsed, and though she herself had never witnessed anything like that before, she could only imagine how heart breaking and traumatic it must be to see. It made her more determined to keep a close eye on the teenager, especially while Emily and Alison were dealing with their issues.  
'Listen, why don't you come stay with me tonight. We'll have a girl's night' Spencer suggested with a small smile, her eyes trained cautiously on the other girl, who simply nodded after a moment of silence.  
'Ok'

Emily turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open, a creak echoing through the dark, quiet house. She stepped inside and flipped on a switch, lighting up the hall of the house she had grown up in. The house she had a whole lifetime's worth of memories. A place that, even after her Dad died, was always home to her, yet now it felt unfamiliar and unimportant, as though she were walking into the house of a stranger. Yet, it wasn't a stranger's house. It was a house that had provided her safety when she thought there was none. A house that provided her comfort when she needed it. It was a house that she and Alison, along with Hanna, Spencer and Aria, had all grown up in. A house that had welcomed their children with open arms and helped to provide stability for their growing families. It was a house that was given life, because her Mother had been there to provide the love and warmth that made it a home. Emily looked into the living room, the room that was the heart of the house. Where everything that was important, had taken place.

 _'Happy Birthday, dear Emmy' the older couple sang, as they looked down upon their daughter, whose smile lit up the room. Pam watched as the six year old blew out the candles on the Barney Cake she had begged and pleaded for. She couldn't believe that her daughter was already six years old, it felt as though she had blinked and the baby she held in her arms, had grown into a little girl. Pam knew that it wouldn't be long until her sweet, little Emily, grew up to become a young woman. She just hoped that her daughter never lost her kind and caring nature._

XXXXXXX

 _Emily sat on the couch, practically bouncing as she watched the cartoon on the TV show. She could feel the eyes of the girl beside her, practically boring into the side of her head, but she forced herself not to look. There was something about Alison's eyes that made Emily's tummy feel funny and made stupid words come out of her mouth, and if the blonde wasn't her best friend, Emily was sure that she would just avoid her because it was a little bit embarrassing when you failed to do the simplest of tasks._  
 _'Here girls, they're peanut butter and chocolate chip' Pam stated, as she entered the room, carrying a plate of cookies. Both of the ten year old girls' eyes lit up at the sight, they loved Pam's homemade cookies. It was the reason Alison enjoyed coming to the Fields' house so much. Sure, Emily was great, they were best friends after all, but she did love Mrs Fields' cookies. Her own Mom never made the time to bake or do any of that usual 'Mom' stuff, being too busy with her socialite activities, her Dad was always working, and her Brother was just annoying. Emily's house was much more peaceful and filled with love than her own. It felt like a home away from home._  
 _'Ali, do you want one?' Emily asked shyly, as she handed a cookie out to the blonde. Alison smiled, nodding as she took the baked good, and Emily was sure that her friend smiling, was the prettiest thing she ever saw. Alison leaned in, placing a soft peck upon Emily's cheek, causing the brunette to blush furiously._  
 _'Thanks, Em' she giggled, as she sat back and bit into her cookie, leaving Emily sat in a blissful state of shock._

XXXXXXX

 _Emily took a deep breath as she walked into the front door of the house. She couldn't believe what her Mom had done back at the school, and she was still a bit shaken up by Paige's kiss. Deciding to tackle one thing at a time, she pushed Paige to the back of her mind, for the moment at least, and prepared herself to talk to her Mom once and for all. The older woman had barely spoken to her since she came out, and Emily was sure she'd never forget that day when she'd sat on the stairs listening to her Mom and Dad talk about her sexuality. Her Dad, for the most part, had been supportive, however her Mom hadn't said a word to her about it since, convinced that she was going through some sort of phase, and Emily was sure that the older brunette was disgusted by it. Until tonight anyway. Her Mom had stood up for her against another parent, who thought it was ok to blame her and use her sexuality, in order to push his daughter farther in her athletic career, and Emily would be the first to admit that she had been ashamed and embarrassed when she had heard those comments. She had felt so small in that moment, that she wanted to simply disappear._

 _Emily closed the door behind her, and her Mom was in front of her almost immediately._  
 _'Emily' she greeted with an airy tone and a regretful smile. 'I think we need to sit and talk properly. Don't you?' She asked, her eyes pleading with her daughter not to push her away, not when she was trying to make such an effort._  
 _'Ok. Let's talk' Emily replied after a beat, pursing her lips as she slipped past her Mom and entered the living room, taking a seat on the couch. She watched as her Mom paced back and forth, wringing her hands in front of her as she clearly tried to find the words to speak._  
 _'Mom, we don't have to talk about this' Emily offered after several minutes of silence, wanting to give her Mother, who was clearly still struggling with this, an out._  
 _'No, I- I want to. I just don't know how to say that...I'm so proud of you, sweetie' Pam said with a huff of breath. 'I don't understand this, and I don't know if I ever will, but I love you and I'm proud of you, and all I want is for you to be happy, so, if this makes you happy then, I guess I'll try'_

XXXXXXX

 _Emily opened the door, her nerves getting the better of her as she came face to face with Alison DiLaurentis. Her Mom had insisted that the blonde come for dinner, selling it as an opportunity to let Alison know that there was an adult there for her now that she was back, and her Mom was gone. Emily however, couldn't shake the feeling that there was more about this impromptu dinner than her Mom was saying. Her Mom, who was forever a planner, didn't throw spontaneous dinner parties, it just wasn't the done thing in their house. She spent weeks planning them and days preparing. Pam Fields was particular about everything, so this was so far out of character for her, that of course, Emily felt like she was watching her every word and every move, and with Aria and Spencer having bailed, she didn't have the distraction of the other girls to back her up. Of course there was Hanna, who had already tried to get out of it, blaming 'cramps' as an excuse. Emily had called bullshit on that right away and made it clear that the blonde was to make an appearance._

 _Now though, with Alison stood on her porch, Emily was feeling nervous for an entirely different reason. She thought she was over the other girl, having had two girlfriends since Ali's disappearance, but recently Alison was leaning on her more than ever, and Emily wasn't entirely sure whether her feelings had resurfaced, or whether they had never left to begin with. All she knew was that Alison took her breath away, and since their little slip up a few weeks ago, she found herself thinking about the blonde night and day._  
 _'Hey' Alison sighed, an anxious look crossing her own features as she entered the house, though it was quickly replaced with a smile the second she saw Pam._  
 _'Alison, honey. Come in, come in!' The older brunette ushered the teenager into the house, taking her by the arm and leading her towards the living room, leaving Emily alone again. She watched as her Mom and Alison chatted animatedly on the couch, and she couldn't help the smile from forming at the sight. It was a vision that she secretly wished she could see time and time again. The image of the blonde woman that she was hopelessly in love with, and her Mom, sitting together as though they were family. She wouldn't admit it, but it hurt to think that it may be something she would never get to have._

XXXXXXX

 _All Emily had wanted was to go home and snuggle with her girlfriend, only to get a text from her Mom to say she was needed at her house. The younger woman had rushed over to her Mom's house and was heading through the door in a panic, only to run smack into the older woman in the hall._  
 _'Wha-'_  
 _'Shh!' The older woman hushed her daughter, waving her hands frantically as she looked over her shoulder towards the living room. Emily's brow furrowed in confusion as she stared at her Mom as if she were crazy._  
 _'What's wrong?' She whispered, adhering to her Mom's request to keep her voice down._  
 _'Nothing's wrong sweetie' Pam insisted, her voice equally as low. She flashed a smile at her daughter, who was growing more and more confused by the second._  
 _'So, why did you tell me to come over?' She asked. 'You said it was an emergency?' She added, as she looked at the other woman, who Emily was surprised didn't have a crick in her neck, with the way she kept peering round to look into the living room. After a few seconds without getting a response from her Mom, Emily rolled her eyes and side stepped the other woman and headed towards the living room to check out what had the older brunette so interested. As she rounded the door frame, her breathe hitched at the sight before her. Lying on the couch was Alison. The blonde was lying on her side, her huge baby bump sticking out from between her t-shirt and maternity pants, and she was sound asleep. Emily wasn't sure she had ever looked so peaceful or beautiful, and she found herself staring. She took in every detail of her girlfriend. The way her lips pouted, her cheek that were slightly flushed, her blonde curls that lay fanned across the cushion beneath her, but especially the way one perfectly manicured hands rested protectively against the side of her bump. It was a sight that, up until less than a year ago, she never thought she'd get to enjoy. Something that was so intimate, so beautiful and so perfectly hers._  
 _'I just wanted you to see this' Pam whispered from behind Emily, a proud smile gracing her features._  
 _'Thank you'_

Emily looked around the room, the memories flooding to her one after the other and it hurt. Her mind was filled with images of her Mom in this room with her Dad, and herself and with Alison and the girls. The day the twins were born and her Mom had insisted that she and Alison stay with her for a few days until they were settled, because Alison had had a difficult labour, and Emily wasn't sure she could cope with one baby, let alone two, by herself. The older woman had been so giddy and had helped with everything from diapers to night feeds for the first week. She'd been such a great help, that by the time they left to go back to their own house, they struggled for the next two weeks without her Mom's help. She remembered when Lily said her first word in this very room. The tiny baby, being held by Pam, had screamed 'Ma' across the room to her at just 8 months old, and while Alison had smiled proudly, Emily cried. Of course there was also the time that Grace, forever the daredevil, stood herself up against the couch and took her first, albeit wobbly, steps. She only made it two steps before she fell onto her butt, but those first two had happened in this room. This one room in a whole house, that was filled with so many memories with a woman that was no longer there.

Emily felt an anger bubble up inside of her, because they should have had more time. Her Mom should have had years ahead of her. Years of memories with them. She should have been there to see Grace and Lily graduate. To see Jude go on his first date. Hell, she should have been there to see the kids make families of their own, and instead she was just gone. Emily just hated that she hadn't been there to say one last goodbye. To look into the warm, loving eyes of her Mother one last time. To hold her hand and tell her how much she loved her. She should have been here, instead of in California. With a deep scream of anguish, Emily swiped as the vase from the mantle, causing it to fall with a smash, a broken cry escaping her throat as her legs buckled. Finally, she allowed her grief to release, and she slid down the wall as sobs wracked through her body. Her ribs hurt as she cried, her vision blurred and the blood rushed to her ears. She didn't hear the door open, or the footsteps that made their way closer to her. She barely registered the person that was stood in front of her, until she felt tear-soaked hair being gently tucked behind her ears and away from her face.  
'Em?' Came a soft voice, causing her to look up at the blonde, whose concern was evident. Blue eyes looked her up and down, checking her out as though to see the damage that had been done, though it was all internal.

'Hanna' Emily sobbed, unable to get any other words out in that moment. The blonde woman closed her eyes for a second, trying to compose herself before she sat herself beside the brunette and held her tight.  
'It's ok, I've got you' she hushed, as she let Emily sob into her.  
'It's not ok. It's never going to be ok' Emily continued to sob, her tears soaking through Hanna's thin top. 'I said some awful things, Hanna. Ali's never going to forgive me. I've lost my Mom, and now I'm going to lose her too' she cried, her body shaking with every sob that escaped her, and Hanna wanted to cry right alongside her. It hurt to see her lifelong friend so incredibly hurt, especially since there was nothing she could do about it.  
'I don't know what you said, but I'm sure Ali knows you don't mean it' Hanna managed to say softly, as she brushed hair out of Emily's face and tears from her cheeks. 'You're hurting, she understands that more than any of us, and she loves you' she continued, her comforting gestures and soft voice calming Emily somewhat, though she still felt that dull ache in her chest.  
'Well that makes one of us' Emily sniffed, swallowing the thickness in her throat before she spoke again. 'God my Mom would have been so mad at me for talking to her like that' she stated regretfully, as she sat up from Hanna's arms and leaned against the wall.

Emily wiped at her eyes as tears continued to fall, though they slowed substantially. Hanna didn't respond, she didn't feel the need to, not right away anyway, knowing that the brunette was simply reflecting. So, they sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, before of course Hanna grew uncomfortable and felt the need to lighten the mood a little, wanting to see her friend smile.  
'Yeah, she'd be sitting here with you giving you a lecture about how she raised you to respect people' the blonde mused, before putting on her best imitation of the other woman's Mom 'Emily Catherine Fields, I accepted you being a lesbian, but I will not accept you talking to your wife in that manner!' She said, screwing her face up in, what Emily only assumed, was Hanna's best impression of her Mom, causing the brunette to chuckle lightly.  
'You're an idiot' she giggled, though she was somewhat grateful for the fact that the blonde had made her laugh. It was a relief from the numbness she had felt all day, and the crying she had done over the past half hour or so.  
'I guess I should go home and apologise' Emily sighed, her stomach knotting at the thought of facing Alison, because she knew that she had hurt her Wife, and that thought alone was enough to make her hate herself.  
'Yeah' Hanna hummed, as she turned her head to look at the woman beside her. 'I get that you're hurting and this whole situation sucks, but none of that's Alison's fault' she added, her tone serious yet compassionate, and Emily just wanted the ground to swallow her whole.  
'I know'

'What if she never comes home?' Alison sighed, her phone pressed to her ear as she picked at her nails. Emily had been gone for a long time, and though Spencer had sent Hanna to look for her, they hadn't heard anything back from the blonde in over an hour and Alison was beginning to grow more and more worried by the minute.  
'Hanna will find her and haul her ass back here, don't worry' Spencer replied from her end, her eyes trained on Grace, who was currently lying on her couch with her eyes fixed on the tv in front of her. 'I'm just sorry I don't get to have ten minutes alone with her and tell her about herself' Spencer mumbled. She understood that Emily was grieving and she was upset, but she couldn't see that as a justifiable reason to scream at Alison and consequently, cause their daughter to have a full-on melt down.  
'She didn't mean what she said' Alison replied despondently, her mind still racing from what had happened earlier. She couldn't believe how angry Emily got. If she was honest, it had scared her a little.  
'Yeah, I know but that's still no reason to act like an asshole' Spencer retorted, pursing her lips as she recalled the event that had unfolded before her. She was never one to pry into other people's relationships, but Alison and Emily were her family, they meant a lot to her, and it hurt to see either of them treat the other with anything but love and respect.  
'She's angry'  
'You think?' Spencer shot sarcastically.

The front door swung open, causing Alison's head to shoot up in time to see Hanna enter, with Emily trailing just behind.  
'I've gotta go' she said quickly, before hanging up the phone and jumping up from her seat. She walked over to where Hanna and Emily stood, the brunette looking rather sheepish and unable to look her Wife in the eye.  
'Hey' she said quietly, looking up at Alison through her eyelashes, and the blonde could see that the other woman's eyes were rimmed with a red tinge and the dark shadows that had formed beneath them made her look a deathly pale. In that moment, any anger that she may have felt towards her wife disappeared, because she could see how utterly broken the other woman was.  
'Hey. You ok?' She asked sympathetically, her eyes still trailing the brunette up and down as she tried to take in just about all of her Wife, who she longed to hold.

Emily took a small step forwards as she nodded her head slowly, her eyes finally coming up to lock onto Alison's. She could see the worry and the fear there, reflecting back at her in shining blue orbs, and she hated that she was the one to put it there.  
'I'm sorry for what I said to you' she began, her voice gruff and low from the crying she had done previously. 'I was hurting and I lashed out. I didn't mean it and I shouldn't have said it' she added sincerely, as she took another step closer to the blonde.  
'It's ok' Alison whispered, as she swallowed and flicked her eyes up to the ceiling in an effort to stop the threat of tears.  
'No, it's not ok' Emily replied, shaking her head at herself as she looked down at the ground and took another step closer to her wife. 'None of this is your fault and I shouldn't be blaming you' she added, chewing on her bottom lip as she waited for Alison to respond, though the other woman was still staring at the ceiling in that moment. It felt like hours before blue eyes finally clapped on her, and Emily saw Alison visibly gulp before she spoke.  
'Em, I understand why you did it. It doesn't make it ok, but I get it' Alison finally replied, taking a step forwards to get closer to the brunette. 'Just don't you ever do this to me again' she added tearfully, before she took a single step forward and closed the gap between them. Alison pulled Emily into a tight hug and placed a lingering kiss upon their lips, before resting their foreheads together. Finally, after what felt like years of pressure and stress and sadness, she felt herself relax.

The two women stood in their embrace, both revelling in the feeling of being in each other's arms. Emily couldn't believe she had pushed her wife away all day, when really all she had wanted was to just be with the other woman.  
'I'm going to leave you guys to it' Hanna interrupted quietly, giving them both a small smile before heading out. She wanted to make a smartass comment or a witty statement, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She left the house quickly and quietly, taking a glance back before jumping in her car and driving away. Meanwhile inside, Emily and Alison remained in their position, their arms wrapped around each other as they shared small pecks and longing looks between each other.  
'I'm so sorry, Ali' Emily whispered, closing her eyes as she relaxed into her Wife's touch. She was sure that she had never regretted anything more than the way she had treated the other woman that day, and she knew that she would carry that regret and guilt with her for the rest of her life.  
'I know you are. I am too' Alison sighed, leaning in to peck Emily's lips softly, simply because she had missed kissing them and she wanted to get as many in while she could. She wasn't sure how long Emily would be home for, and she definitely didn't want to waste anymore of the precious time they had together.

'What are you sorry for?' Emily asked, pulling back to look at the blonde, her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. She had been the one to cause chaos that day, so she really didn't understand why Alison was the one apologising.  
'For putting pressure on you' she answered simply. 'I thought I was being supportive, letting you go follow your dreams. I never imagined you'd resent me for it' she added shamefully, because when she looked back upon it, she really had pushed her Wife to take the job. Emily had said countless times that she wanted to stay in Rosewood, yet Alison could only see the bigger picture of the brunette following her dreams, rather than seeing what the other woman actually wanted.  
'I don't resent you' Emily protested. That was the last thing she wanted Alison to think, because while she had said a lot of things that she somewhat may have meant deep down, she had said them in the completely wrong way and context.  
'Yes, you do. But that's ok' the blonde stated with a small smile, because seeing that panic and need to back track over everything she had said and done, that was so clear in Emily's eyes, was pretty cute. 'You won't resent me forever, and I've learned to let you do what you need to do, whether that's here or in California. From now on, whatever you want to do, I'll listen and support. No more pushing' she informed her Wife, her smile growing when Emily matched it.  
'Good, because I quit my job' she said nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders as if it were no big deal. 'Oh you did?' Alison asked, her eyebrow raised as she chuckled. 'Well, as long as that's what makes you happy then I don't give a damn if you clean toilets for a living. As long as it's what you want to do'  
'I love you' Emily breathed, her smile beaming as she saw all the love in the world, shining through Alison's eyes.  
'I love you more'

* * *

 **R.I.P Pam Fields. A woman that was loved by the nation, as much as she loved her wine.  
I know, it's horrible, I hated myself for doing it, but really, she couldn't live forever, and we needed Emily home. I really hope you don't hate me too much for this.**

 **Moving on to nicer things though, not that there was much positivity in this chapter. Did you like the flashbacks? I took on board the people that have requested more flashbacks, including more of pregnant Alison, and I smushed everything in. I think my favourites are Emison telling Pam about the babies, and Emily seeing Ali asleep on Pam's couch. I seriously squealed when I wrote those.**

 **I also love the Hannily/Spalison scenes in this chapter. I also tried to draw some parallels from previous chapters, which had me include the whole Spencer/Grace scene, and there will be more on that whole storyline in the next chapter.**

 **Anyway, I would write about this chapter all night long, but my fingers need a rest and you've read enough!**

 **Goodday, Goodnight, Adios, Goodbye**

 **Lo  
xxx **


	23. Coming of Age

**Okkkkk, so I apologise for the insanely long time this has taken me to get out to you, I really struggled to get it finished, but I have literally just finished it (all 14,000 words of it!) and here it is, unedited and raw, so there's probably a heap of mistakes but I'm in a rush and wanted to get this out to you because you've been patient for long enough. I will edit any mistakes at a later date.**

 **Anyway, I've gotta run but I hope this was worth the wait and I really hope you enjoyed this story. There will be an epilogue, but the story is mostly finished! *SOB*  
I'm not going to say my goodbyes just yet, but I will say thank you to each and every one of you who has followed this from the start.**

 **Much love**  
 **Lo**

 **xx**

* * *

It had been a week since Pam's funeral. One long week, and the DiLaurentis-Fields family were still struggling to get through the sudden loss of the older woman who seemed to make the world that much brighter. Alison tried her hardest to keep everyone going, and after allowing their children to take time away from school, she had decided a few days ago that maybe it was time to get back to normal, much to her children's dismay.  
'I don't get why we have to go back to school already' Lily moaned as she picked at the crust from her toast.  
'Because we need to try to get back to some sort of normalcy' Alison found herself replying, while mentally reminding herself that their lives were far from normal right now.  
'But why now?' Lily whined 'Why not next week, or the week after?' she added dramatically, causing Alison to huff out a deep breath, while peering out to the hall to see if Emily had decided to come downstairs yet.  
'Because Lily, as sad as it is when we lose someone we love, our lives still have to go on and the best way to get through this is by carrying on as normal' Alison replied softly as she wrapped her hands around a mug of coffee. She knew it was hard, it was hard for her too, but Alison was all to familiar with what grief could do if you let it, and she wasn't about to let her family be swallowed by that darkness.

'It doesn't seem right though' Lily argued persistently. 'We're eating breakfast and going to school, while Grandma's lying in the cold ground'  
'Shut up!' Jude shouted, his face pale and eyes shadowed by dark rings, and the younger boy looked horrified at his sister's words.  
'What? I'm not saying anything that's not the truth, Jude!' Lily yelled back, her eyes wide as she spoke. Alison had noticed that her usually placid and quiet daughter was becoming a little unhinged as of late. Lily had always been prone to mood swings, she was a teenager after all, but the brunette's recent behaviour screamed more than just teenager tantrums. Hormones or not, Alison was getting sick of her daughter's recent attitude problem. Somehow, Lily's temper and sarcastic attitude outranked Grace, hell at times Alison was sure that Lily even rivalled her own high school mean streak.  
'Lils, just stop and eat your breakfast please' Alison sighed, already fed up with her daughter's attitude this morning.  
'Bu-'  
'No arguments!' Alison snapped, cutting the teenager off before she could even get started trying to argue. 'Be quiet and eat so we can leave' she added in a much calmer tone than before.

Lily huffed and silently tucked into her cheerios. Alison stared at the brunette for a second, before turning to Jude. She ruffled the younger boy's hair, knowing that he'd been more than a little sensitive about things since his Grandma's passing, while Lily had seemingly taken on Grace's somewhat bratty personality since the other brunette had temporarily relocated to Spencer's house. It was something that had been happening since the girls were small, so Alison and Emily had half expected it when Grace moved some of her things into Spencer's house. Grace and Lily were usually polar opposites to each other. Lily was quiet and reserved, while Grace was the true definition of a wild child, but however much they contrasted in personality, they were very much a ying and yang. Both girls held the qualities of each other, at least in a small part, and when one was gone for an extended period of time, it was like the other girl would channel the missing twin. This was great when Lily was gone, because it meant that Grace would become more quiet and withdrawn, and Emily and Alison would both be grateful for some peace and quiet. However, when Grace left, Lily seemed to take every bit of rage and energy that pulsed through her sister and multiply it infinitely. Lily would go from the quiet, respectful girl she had always been, to downright rude. This usual flip in personality in addition to the grief that Lily was most definitely struggling with, meant that Alison found herself battling with the teen every day, which was becoming a full-time job. Emily was also still clearly struggling, and while she tried to keep on a brave face, Alison knew that her Wife's extended showers weren't just for hygiene reasons. She had walked in on the brunette woman several times, curled in the bottom of the shower as her sobs took over her, and honestly it was the most heartbreaking thing she had ever had to witness. Their family was evidently struggling to get through this difficult period, and Alison found herself so focused on trying to keep her family together, that she barely had time to process her own emotions and feelings. She knew she was sad, that much was a given, but she hadn't quite let herself let her grief take over. She knew that she couldn't crumble, not when her family needed her so much, so she pushed aside her own grief and focused on her Wife and kids.

Spencer sipped her hot coffee, her body practically melting as the caffeine hit her bloodstream. She was well aware that her coffee addiction matched that of a heroine addict, but she couldn't care less. If coffee was what it took to get her through the day, then she'd drink it until she burst. She looked up at the brunette who was sitting across the table from her, her head buried in an old Medical textbook that belonged to Spencer's older sister, Melissa. Honestly, it still baffled Spencer whenever she saw Grace so quiet and well, Lily-like. The teenager had barely said a word since she had practically moved in two weeks ago, despite Spencer's best efforts to get her to talk, and she had read her way through several of Spencer's Law text books, and had now apparently moved on to Medicine. It was almost scary how different the teenager was acting, but it was nothing that those close to her hadn't witnessed before. Whenever Lily was away from her for longer than a day, Grace would bury her head in a book and shut herself off from the world.  
'How you finding that?' Spencer asked, nodding to the book when Grace lifted her head to make eye contact.  
'It's ok. Interesting' the teenager replied with a shrug, before gluing her eyes back to the page she was reading, that spoke about the complications during childbirth and how they can be rectified. It was interesting, however it was most definitely putting her off the idea of having children. Ever.

Spencer nodded and let another moment go by before she spoke again. She had promised Alison that she would try to get Grace to open up and, eventually, head home. While the teenager had been more than willing to rant when she first left home, fuming with Emily for the way she had been treating Alison, within a couple of days, the teenager either mellowed out or just shut down because she had barely mentioned her Moms, or Lily and Jude, since.  
'So, not that I'm not thrilled to have you here, because you know that you're welcome anytime, but when are you going to go home?' Spencer asked far more bluntly than she had intended to, though Grace was aware that at times the older woman had the emotional sensitivity of a teaspoon, so she wasn't all that shocked by her words. She guessed that was why she connected so well to the other brunette. Her Moms and Lily got her, sure, and Hanna and Aria were great, but Spencer was the one person Grace knew she could turn to when things weren't going so well. The older brunette wasn't one to try to put a positive spin on things, or be happy and chirpy and overly motherly. She would listen to Grace's problems and offer solutions based on the cold hard facts. She would give suggestions on how to fix things, rather than hug her and tell her everything would be ok. Spencer was blunt and honest and straight to the point, and that was exactly what Grace needed sometimes.

'Well thanks for making me feel welcome' Grace replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes for good effect.  
'You know that I don't mean it like that' Spencer replied with a raised eyebrow, though it was good to hear at least a little of the old Grace appearing, if even just a tiny bit. 'I'm just saying that you need to face your Moms at some point' she added softly, knowing that the very mention of talking to her Moms would make Grace shut down.  
'No I don't' came the predictable answer, and Grace's soft brown eyes snapped back to the page in front of her, glancing over a sketched diagram of a cervix and birth canal.  
'Grace. You're going back to school today and your Moms are going to be there. You're going to see them and if you think for a second that they're going to just let you walk by them without even trying to have a conversation with you, then you must be insane' Spencer stated matter of factly, the lawyer in her offering the clear and concise fact of the situation, so as not to be misunderstood or misinterpreted.  
'I'm not going back to school today' Grace replied in her own lawyer-esq tone, something she had been doing a lot since she had been staying with Spencer. Apparently, it was something that was easy to pick up without even realising it.

'Uh, I think you'll find you are' Spencer argued, her tone telling Grace not to push her luck, though she should have known that the younger brunette most definitely wouldn't back down that easily. She was much like a younger Spencer in that way, which was probably another reason they connected so well. High School Spencer Hastings would have never backed down from an argument, especially when she believed she was right. Grace was very much the same. When she wanted her own way, her claws would dig in and she wouldn't let up. She was stubborn and determined, and a sharp as a whip when she wanted to be. She was a perfect blend of Hastings and DiLaurentis, which Spencer found almost comical, and horrifying to think about.  
'You can't make me go to school, Spencer' the teenager's voice grew low and challenging, her eyes darkening and Spencer almost shivered by how familiar that look of steely determination was. Not one to be beaten though, Spencer tried the one tactic she had that would work against the teenager. She tapped into her inner mother and laid out the law.  
'Grace DiLaurentis'-Fields, while you're under my roof, I can certainly make you, and I will drive you there myself if I have to. Now either get your ass moving or I'll move it for you' she demanded sternly, her face matching her words perfectly. Their eyes locked, neither one of them wanting to lose their resolve. It was Grace who backed down first with a groan as she slammed her book shut and got up from the table, pushing her chair back with an ear-piercing screech. As stubborn and set in her ways as she was, she knew better than to argue with a Hastings.

Lily skulked down the hall, her head hung low and her feet dragging as she made her way to her locker. She used to love school, she thrived in these very halls of Rosewood High, but now it just seemed pointless and stupid. She didn't get that same adrenaline rush she used to, and she didn't see the point to learning algebraic algorithms or analysing the words of a classic Shakespeare. Nothing seemed worthwhile anymore, and that made her sad.  
'Hey babe' came Ava's cheery voice, pulling Lily back into reality.  
'Hey' she greeted rather glumly, before she leaned in to peck her girlfriend on the lips. It took Lily all but two seconds to decide what she wanted to do to pick up her mood, because even Ava's kisses weren't giving her the boost she needed today.  
'You want to skip today?' She practically blurted out as they parted. Ava's eyebrows rose at the unexpected question.  
'Skip as in, skip classes?' the blonde asked in shock. She had skipped classes many times, but she was pretty sure Lily had never skipped a day in her life.  
'Yeah' came the casual reply, Lily's determined eyes boring into Ava's in a way that reminded the blonde so much of her girlfriend's sister, it gave her chills.  
'Uh, I don't know' Ava replied awkwardly, her eyes traipsing along Lily's face in search of a sign. Ava knew there was something up with the brunette, she just needed to figure out what was going on in Lily's head. She knew that it was her girlfriend's first day back, and she was still grieving, but this was more than that, Ava could feel it.

'My Dad's kind of ragging on me because I'm failing almost every class' she explained lamely, causing Lily's eyes to narrow sceptically.  
'But I'm tutoring you in like half your classes. How are you failing?' The tanned girl asked suspiciously, causing Ava to shrug as if she had no idea how she could possibly fail her classes, though really she knew it was because lately their 'study sessions' had become 'make out sessions', and the making out turned into more than making out, and well, how was anyone supposed to focus on physics and algebra when your girlfriend was giving you hands on lessons in the female anatomy?  
'Forget it' Lily sighed, rolling her eyes because she knew exactly where her girlfriend's mind was going, her own mind had gone to the same place, and it was only making her want Ava to ditch with her even more.  
'You skipping with me or not?' She asked, though her voice had more of a pleading sound to it and Ava could see by her girlfriend's eyes that she was desperate for company. Ava looked at the brunette longingly, torn between her education and the girl she loved, because her Dad had warned her to get her grades up but Lily looked like she really needed her now.

'Is everything ok?' Ava asked softly, her fingers reaching out and intertwining with Lily's, before pulling their hands together fully.  
'Ava' Lily sighed in exhaustion, because she was done with the talking and done with the look that Ava had been giving her for the past few weeks. She was done with people treating her like she was made of glass and looking at her with pity. Lily was just so incredibly done with life and everything that seemed to come with it, and it made her angry because she knew there was nothing she could do to change the way things happened.  
'Look, I'm leaving. You coming or not?' Lily asked snippily, causing Ava's brow to furrow in confusion, because Lily was many things, but she was never usually irritable with her. They were usually open and honest with each other when it came to their feelings and emotions, so the fact that Lily was holding back was another red flag that something was seriously wrong.  
'Lily, what is going on with you?' Ava asked firmly, her hand gripping her purse strap that was sitting over her shoulder.

'Nothing, ok? I just don't feel like going to class today!' Lily snapped, her eyes grew wide and her cheeks flushed red with frustration, because she needed to get out of here and she definitely didn't need to be lectured by her girlfriend.  
'Which is exactly why I know that there is something going on' Ava pushed, knowing that the brunette was about to blow, but honestly she didn't care. She had spent weeks tiptoeing round the other girl and she had watched her become more and more undone as the days went on. She knew that things were tough, she got it, but she also knew that Lily wasn't being herself and Ava was scared that she was on the path to self-destruction.  
'Look, I get that it's hard being back after-'  
'Forget it. I'll go on my own' Lily interrupted abruptly, turning on her heels with an angry huff. She stormed down the hall, practically tossing a freshman out of her path as she headed towards the double doors at the end of the hall, leaving Ava worried and alone.

Grace kicked at the dirt and leaves on the ground, dust flying up into the air as she strolled along the barely-there path. Deciding to go against Spencer's wishes, she decided to skip out on school and had ended up in the woods on the outskirts of town, a place Lily had shown her a few years ago. It was her sister's quiet spot, where she came to read or think, or do whatever it was that Lily did when she was away from home. Grace wasn't sure why she came here, her feet had just automatically led the way. She walked through the peaceful wood and came across a tree with a low, wide branch. The perfect branch to just sit in and hang out. She expertly climbed up, reaching the branch in no time at all. She pulled her rucksack from her back and hooked it to a smaller branch that stuck up the way, ensuring it was secure before leaning against the trunk of the tree comfortably. Her legs hung either side of the branch that supported her, swinging gently as she felt herself relax for the first time in what felt like months. She allowed her mind to wander, even to the places she had been trying desperately not to let it go. She thought of her Grandma and how much she missed the older woman in her life. She thought of her Moms and how she wished she could just stop being so damn stubborn and talk to them. She was in a world of her own, when she heard her name called suddenly from below. She jumped in surprise at the sudden call through the quietness, almost falling out of the tree. Her hands gripped the branch that her bag was hooked on to in order to steady herself, which in turn snapped the smaller branch and caused her bag to tumble to the ground below her.

She looked down to see Lily standing here, a sheepish expression on her face and Grace's rucksack at her feet, the contents spilled out across the dirt covered floor.  
'Dammit Lily! You almost fucking killed me!' Grace shouted down at her sister, her heart racing against her chest due to the close call she had just had.  
'Sorry!' Lily shouted apologetically, holding her hands up in defence, because honestly she hadn't thought about the fact that her sister was sitting fifteen feet up in the air, she was just excited to see her.  
'What are you doing here anyway?' Grace asked, as she swung her leg over the branch and gingerly began to climb back down the trunk, cautiously placing her feet in the small bumps and holes as she eased her way down. Lily watched anxiously as she grabbed the rucksack at her feet and picked up the few things that had spilled cross the ground.

'I needed to think' Lily replied, as she picked up an old looking book with a faded title and cover. She observed it curiously, vaguely making out the word 'Anatomy' embedded in the creases of the worn leather cover.  
'You ditched school?' Grace asked, slightly impressed that Lily had had the balls to do such a thing. 'Wow, who are you and what did you do with my sister?' she joked, as she hopped from the spot she had reached, several feet from the ground. She landed with a crunch, her knees bending upon the impact, causing her to spring back upright.  
'Oh Ha Ha' Lily replied, rolling her eyes as she shoved the book into Grace's bag and handed it to her. Grace zipped up her rucksack and threw it over her shoulder before walking over to a rock nearby, causing Lily to follow. They two girls sat side by side, both feeling their bodies relax at the fact they were back together again. It was a strange sensation, as if they had unknowingly been walking around with the weight of the world on their shoulders, but now, the second they were together again, all the tension and heaviness seemed to dissipate and it was like they could breathe again.

'So, how are you doing?' Lily asked cautiously, because she really didn't know how her sister was lately. The last time she had spoke to Grace was at the funeral, and the brunette had been just as angry then as she was the day she had left the house and moved into Spencer's. She had been so angry in fact, she had outright refused to even look at any of her family, let alone speak to them, which was heart breaking for Lily, who struggled to get through things without her twin by her side. Grace seemed to hold the strength the both of them needed, and without her, Lily felt weak and useless, and like everything was crumbling beneath her feet.  
'Ok, I guess' Grace replied with a shrug, guilt flooding through her, because she knew that she hadn't been acting fairly. She knew that she was putting her family, Lily especially, through, and she knew that she needed to fix things.  
'We miss you' Lily said sadly, swallowing hard when she felt a lump form. She had been trying so hard to keep it together, but she missed her sister so badly, and everything was going to shit. Lily hadn't missed how one of her Moms spent far too long in the bathroom, or how the other looked like she hadn't slept in months and was stressed to the max. She could feel her family falling apart and she hated it.  
'I miss you too' Grace admitted softly, linking her fingers with Lily's against the cool slab of rock that they were situated on. She kept her eyes focused in front if her, worried that of she looked at the sad look on her sister's face, they'd both end up in floods of tears.  
'I need to tell you something, but if I tell you, you can't tell Moms' Lily practically blurted desperately, causing Grace's brow to furrow as her sister began to pour her heart out beside her.

Alison knocked on Emily's office door, before pushing the barrier open slowly. She peered around the doorframe, wondering what mood her Wife was going to be in this afternoon.  
'There's my beautiful Wife' Emily said cheerfully, her smile not quite reaching her eyes the way she had so clearly intended it to, though Alison noted that recently her smile never really beamed the way they used to.  
'Hey' She replied happily, her lips curving into her own soft smile as she made her way across the room to peck the brunette on the lips. 'I thought I'd come see how you're getting on. You know, first day back and all...' Alison trailed off, not wanting the other woman to feel like she was being molly coddled or suffocated, but she also couldn't stop herself from worrying about her Wife's well-being.  
'Ali, I'm fine' Emily groaned softly as she loosely took Alison's hand into her own. 'Stop worrying. I'm not going to fall apart' she added, their eyes locking momentarily, and Ali could see the soft brown orbs screaming at her to relax.

'I know, but you know I'll always worry about you' She sighed as she sandwiched her Wife's hand between both of her own, giving it a gentle squeeze.  
'And that's sweet, but it's not necessary' Emily stated, flashing the blonde a loving smile before leaning up to place a lingering peck on her lips. Their lips remained locked for several seconds, before they finally parted, Alison's anxiety seemingly calmed at least a little. Her lips curved into the tiniest hint of a smile as she parted from her Wife and say in the seat opposite her, pulling out two Tupperware boxes filled with a salad that she had prepared that morning.  
'So, how was Grace during swim practice today?' Alison asked as she handed one of the tubs to Emily, who quickly ripped the lid off and took the fork that Alison was pulling from her purse. 'Did you guys manage to talk?' The blonde continued, deciding to focus on the other thing that was currently causing her to have sleepless nights.  
'No, because she didn't show up' Emily replied as she stuffed a leaf of lettuce into her mouth, looking up at her Wife through her eyelashes. Alison almost choked on a tomato at this information.

'What? Seriously?' She spluttered, coughing to clear her throat 'Grace would never miss practice' she stated simply, her face contorting into a look of concern.  
'Well, she did' Emily sighed, placing her fork down onto the table with a clatter. 'I don't know whether it's because of me, or because she's still going through stuff. I just don't know' she said with an exhaustion in her voice that made Alison's heart wrench. She could see how Grace's absence in the house over the past few weeks was having an effect on everyone, but Emily was not only missing their daughter; she was also carrying around immense guilt, due to feeling as though she were the sole reason for Grace's decision to stay with Spencer.  
'I'll speak to Spencer, try to get an idea of what's going on in her head' Alison replied as she bit the corner of her mouth in thought. She had no idea how she would get Grace to come home. They had all tried, even Lily, but her daughter was stubborn as ever and was refusing to come back, and Alison had no idea how to resolve that. All she knew was that she needed to fix their family, and she needed to do it soon.  
'A part of me thinks we're being too soft on her. Like, we need to lay the law down a little harder' Alison stated thoughtfully as she stabbed at her salad, her appetite having somewhat decreased, despite having only eaten a few bites. Emily shook her head at the suggestion, her eyes focused on the table beneath her.  
'You know that wont work. Grace is stubborn and she's not going to do anything she doesn't want to' she rebutted. Emily knew their daughter and she knew how determined she was. She knew that if they put their foot down, Grace would dig her heels in and they'd never get her home.  
'Yeah I know' Alison sighed in resignation. 'I just wish we could bring her home and get her to talk. Even Lily isn't getting through to her lately' She stated, resting her chin in her hand as her fingers drummed against her cheek. The mention of their other daughter suddenly caught Emily's attention, causing her head to whip up and her eyebrows to furrow.

'Speaking of, have you seen Lils at all today?' She asked curiously, her mind racing through her entire morning for any remembrance of her daughter.  
'Not since this morning, why?' Alison answered lazily, her eyes narrowing a little as she tried to see where her Wife's mind was going.  
'She just sort of disappeared after we got here, and I just saw Ava in the cafeteria, but Lily was nowhere to be seen' Emily explained, shaking her head as she tried to remember something, but she was sure that the last time she had seen Lily was when they had arrived at school this morning.  
'That's weird' Alison agreed, knowing full well that Ava and Lily were usually glued to each other's hips, especially since Pam had passed away. Ava had barely left Lily's side other than to use the restroom or sleep, though the blonde had insisted on sleeping beside her on several occasions.  
'You think maybe they've had a falling out?' Alison suggested, it being the one and only valid reason she could come up with at this point as to why Ava and Lily would be apart, and why their daughter hadn't been seen since this morning. Lily seemed to make a habit of hiding away and keeping a low profile whenever she and Ava argued, so it wasn't completely unrealistic behaviour.  
'I don't know' Emily murmured sadly as she picked at the skin around her fingernail. 'I don't know what's going on with either of our girls anymore' she added with a soft pout, causing Alison's eyes to soften significantly and her heart to feel heavier in her chest. She reached across the table and tenderly took her Wife's forearm into her hand, stroking the tanned skin with her thumb in an effort to comfort her.

'I know. We'll get to the bottom of it, though ok?' She offered with a sympathetic look, her fingers squeezing Emily's arm gently.  
'Will we?' Emily asked with a tone of disbelief, because she really didn't know what to think anymore.  
'Honesty Ali, sometimes I look at our lives and it's like, every time things are going great, something fucks it up again and I look at the kids and each time something happens, it's like I can see how it's pulling them apart' Her voice grew frantic with every word and her eyes grew wide as everything that had been building up inside of her came spilling out. She pulled her arm away from Alison's gentle grip, her fingers raking through her hair as they shook violently. 'I can't just sit and watch our children be ripped apart by life. I can't' she finished as tears formed in her eyes and as shocked as she was by her Wife's sudden break down, Alison jumped straight in to take control of the situation and calm Emily down.  
'Hey' she hushed, her hand cupping lovingly around the curve of the other woman's cheek. Their eyes locking in a silent conversation, in which Alison took the lead; promising that she would fix this. That she would take care of them. 'It'll be ok. I promise' she verbalised, physically feeling Emily relax beneath her touch.

'Oh my fucking god' Grace exclaimed through the silence that had settled between them. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was hung low as she processed the information her sister had just told her. 'Moms are going to kill you' she stated with a hollow chuckle, finally looking to Lily, who was still perched beside her on the rock.  
'No they wont, because they're not going to find out, because you promised you wouldn't tell!' Lily replied, the words coming out of her mouth at rapid speed as her heart raced, because she knew that Grace was right. Their Moms were going to hit the roof, and the thought of that terrified her.  
'I don't need to tell them, Lily! I'm pretty sure this is something they're going to find out by themselves' Grace pointed out, her eyebrow arched knowingly. 'This isn't some little white lie about who broke Grandma Jessica's antique vase, this is...huge!' She finished, her lips curved into a disbelieving smile, because she couldn't actually believe what she had just heard. She subtly gripped the skin on her forearm between her fingers, just to check that she wasn't dreaming this whole thing, because it was honestly insane.

'Yeah I know that, but I have a few months to figure things out, ok?' Lily replied quietly, her eyes focused on her feet. She really didn't have a plan at all, everything had just sort of _happened._  
'How? What are you going to do?' Grace pushed, and it was as if she could hear the panic in Lily's mind as she desperately tried to formulate a plan for herself.  
'I don't know ok?' Lily replied harshly, causing Grace to glare at her. She quickly calmed herself, taking a deep breath before continuing. 'I haven't exactly figured everything out yet' she stated in a softer, more vulnerable voice. Grace frowned as she looked at her sister and she wondered how the girl who was usually so strong and capable of holding everything together, had become so incredibly broken. Lily usually pushed through the bad stuff and bounced right back to life with an exuberance and positivity that couldn't be matched, yet here she was letting it get her down and Grace was worried that her sister was drowning in the darkness.

'Lily...' She began to ask a question, it was the start to many questions in fact, but she stopped herself in her tracks when she saw the tears forming in her sister's eyes.  
'So much is fucking changing around here and I can't take anymore change' Lily's throat cracked as she spoke, her chest tightening and her stomach growing heavy as her sadness swelled within her. Grace watched her with empathy, her own emotions getting the better of her as Lily began to sob. Grace herself had been struggling with everything that had happened over the past few years, she just had no idea that her sister was clearly having her own issues.  
'Come here' she whispered as she pulled her sister into her arms and hugged her tight. She held in her own tears as Lily sobbed into her shoulder.  
'You need to come home' Lily muttered, her words slightly muffled by Grace's shoulder.  
'What?' The other teenager asked, pulling back to look at her sister, whose cheeks were stained with tears and soft brown eyes were tinged pink around the edges.  
'Come home with me' Lily repeated herself. 'Talk to Mom and make up with her. Please. For me'

Alison's eyes flickered around the classroom, narrowing as she examined each and every student's face, just to double check that she wasn't missing anything. Both Grace and Lily were supposed to be in this class, but neither of them were to be seen, and the blonde was growing more pissed by the second that her daughters had evidently skipped out on school for the day. She pushed through the lesson, sticking closely to her plans and breathed a sigh of relief when the bell rang through the school. Alison was the first out the door, her legs marching her along the hall to where she knew she might get some answers. She slammed a locker door shut, causing the petite blonde before her to squeak in shock  
'Oh, hey Mrs D-F!' Came the cheery greeting, a cheeky smile spreading across the teenager's face once realisation kicked in that she knew the other person. Her smile waivered, however, when she saw that Alison was clearly pissed off.  
'Everything ok?' She asked, still attempting to keep up her cheery nature, though it was faltering rapidly.

'Cut the sweet and innocent act, Ava' Alison snarled, causing the young blonde's smile to drop all together. 'Where are my daughters?' She asked coolly and Ava was sure that she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She had heard stories about how Alison was during high school and she knew that the older blonde had a temper, but this was the closest she had ever come to witnessing it, let alone being on the receiving end.  
'Your daughters?' Ava asked with a gulp, her eyes bugging as alarm bells went off in her mind, because of course that was what Alison was pissed about.  
'Yeah, about five foot five, brunette, brown eyes. One of them is your girlfriend. Ring any bells?' Alison replied sarcastically, her eyebrow arching in a way that used to make tenth graders shake with fear, and apparently it still had the desired effect. It wasn't that she wanted to be mean to Ava, far from it, but Alison was fuming with her daughters and she knew that Ava wouldn't give up the information she needed, not willingly anyway.

'Uh, yeah' Ava mumbled, her eyes flitting to the ground as she scratched the back of her neck. 'I uh, haven't seen them today' she lied, causing Alison to roll her eyes, because she had thought that the younger blonde would be able to come up with something a bit more convincing.  
'Ava, I'm going to give you ten seconds to tell me the truth, or I'll be grounding Lily for the rest of the year and your skinny ass won't get within twenty feet of her until she leaves for college' Alison threatened, her eyes narrowing as if to enhance her words. 'Now, where is she?' She asked firmly, causing Ava to let out a deep exhale.  
'I don't know. I haven't seen Grace all day, but I did see Lily' The teenager confessed sheepishly, her eyes barely looking up at Alison. She hated that she was about to rat out her girlfriend, but she also liked the idea of her head remaining firmly on her shoulders, and she was sure that Alison wouldn't hesitate to knock her block off if she didn't tell her the truth. 'She was here before school and she asked if I wanted to skip. I told her I couldn't because my grades were flunking and my Mom is on my case. She got pissed at me and left' Ava finished sadly. She could see that something was shifting inside of Lily, and she hated that her girlfriend was clearly hurting, and there was nothing she could do to help.  
'Any idea where she might have gone?' Alison asked with a sigh, letting out a groan when Ava silently shook her head in response. 'Ok. If you speak to her, tell her I'm looking for her and that I'm pissed' she stated sharply, before turning on her heels and marching along the halls. She couldn't believe that Lily had walked out of school. It was something she'd half expect from Grace, though even she had never attempted to skip school before, but Alison was sure that Lily was the one she didn't have to worry about when it came to being serious about her education. Her mind flashed back to that morning and how reluctant Lily was about returning to school, and she wondered whether they had pushed their children into going back to school too early.

Alison quickly made her way to Emily's office, explaining the situation to her Wife before practically dragging her to the car. She spun the car out of the parking lot and raced towards home, where she was hoping to find _both_ of their daughters, safe and sound. They reached the house in record time, both Emily and Alison jumping from the car the second it came to a halt.  
'Lily? Grace?' Emily called as they pushed through the front door, only to be met with a stormy silence.  
'Where the hell could they be? Emily wondered with a deep exhale, while Alison's frustration was mounting by the second.  
'I don't know' she replied in a low voice. 'But Lily has to come home sooner or later, and when I get my hands on her...' She trailed off, her fist clenching. It wasn't that Alison was angry, well, she was, it was more that she hated not knowing where her kids were. She hated having Grace staying with Spencer, and now neither girl had showed up for school and they had no idea if they were ok. That terrified Alison, and when she was scared, she got pissed.  
'I'll call Spencer, see if she knows anything' Emily stated calmly, pulling her phone from her back pocket as she side-eyed her Wife, who looked like she was a woman on the edge.

Lily dragged her feet as she and Grace slowly walked along the sidewalk, both dreading the reception they would receive when they got home. Lily was aware that their Moms probably knew that they had skipped school by now, and she knew that that simple fact would piss them off enough, let alone the grilling they would probably give Grace, and then he had her little bit of news to add on to that. All in all, Lily knew she was in for a rough afternoon.  
'You know that telling them now is the best thing, right?' Grace said encouragingly, sensing her sister's anxiety.  
'Yeah well, they're going to kill me one way or another, so I might as well get it over and done with' Lily replied glumly, her eyes focused on the ground as she continued to drag her feet behind her. Her stomach was in knots and she felt sick at the thought of what her Moms were going to say.  
'They might be ok' Grace offered reassuringly, letting out a low chuckle as she continued. 'Chances are they're going to be so pissed with me that you'll get off lightly' she joked causing Lily to roll her eyes heavily.  
'You know as well as I do that Moms are going to freak when I tell them this' She replied matter of factly. 'You might as well say goodbye to me now, because after today, there'll be no more Lily DiLaurentis-Fields' she added, her tone fully dramatic, which caused Grace to roll her eyes because honestly, she didn't think it would be that bad. Sure, their Moms might shout a little and be pissed for a second, but ultimately Grace didn't think it was _too_ much of a big deal.  
'Just think positive. Maybe you'll catch them in a good mood' Grace offered, stopping as they reached the driveway that led to their house.

The front door swung open with a ferocity that made both girls jump. Alison appeared with her hands on her hips, her face flushed pink and a dangerous glare in her eyes, and both Lily and Grace felt themselves physically brace for the lecture they were sure they were about to get.  
'Get inside' Alison demanded, stepping aside to let the two teenagers enter the house.  
'So much for the good mood' Lily mumbled under her breath, low enough for only Grace to hear. If she wasn't anxious before, it was safe to say that now they were home, Lily was positively shitting herself.

Grace and Lily both made their way into the house and through to the kitchen, closely followed by Alison. They found themselves stood in the kitchen moments later, where Emily was sat calmly at the table while Alison paced frantically back and forth, which was a sure sign that she was trying to keep her cool. It was something the girls had grown accustomed to seeing over the years when they pushed things just a little too far with the wrong parent.  
'You ditched school? Both of you?' Emily asked, her voice was strained and sounded exhausted, which only made Lily, and Grace, feel guiltier. As the older brunette's eyes flitted between them, Grace could see the weariness that sat behind them. The eyes that used to be filled with so much joy and peace and love, seemed duller and less ready to fight the world than they used to be. They were the eyes of someone who had simply given up trying to battle through the crap that life throws at you, and if she was honest, it made the world seem so much bigger and scarier. The world felt like a safe place, because Grace knew she had her Mom fighting in her corner, now it seemed huge and dark, and that was terrifying.

Grace looked away from Emily, her eyes focusing on Lily, who was now nodding in response to the question their Mom had just asked. She found herself following suit, her head nodding up and down like one of those bobblehead dogs people have on their car dashboard.  
'Why?' Came the question, followed by a look of disappointment that shook both girls to the core. There were many things Lily and Grace were able to cope with, even Alison's temper, but the one thing that they absolutely hated more than anything was disappointing Emily. They weren't sure what it was about their Mom that had the ability to stop them in their tracks with a single look of displeasure. Grace once mentioned that maybe it was something about her eyes, but Lily said she was insane and so Grace never mentioned it again. She still wondered if she was right though, especially now as she was looking directly into those soft, loving orbs that just made her want to make the older woman happy.

'I just...' Lily trailed off, averting her gaze from her Mother's, while her other Mother relentlessly paced back and forth behind her. Lily wanted to rant about how she didn't see the point in going to school anymore, because what use was an education when it never amounted to anything anyway? Sure, good grades could help her get a better job and more money, but they were all going to die someday, and money and power would mean nothing once she was gone from this Earth. She wanted to scream at her Moms that they had everything wrong. Everything they had drummed into them about good foundations and making a solid start in life was crap. She wanted to scream and cry and shout, anything that would get them to understand, but she quickly realised that there was only one thing that maybe would do just that.  
'I needed to talk to Grace about something' she finally uttered, her voice confident despite the fact that her stomach was doing backflips and her legs were shaking violently, and Lily was sure they were about to give way.

Alison's pacing stopped suddenly and she rounded on her daughter.  
'And what could be so important that it couldn't be done in school, or wait until afterwards?' She asked sternly, her hands on her hips her jaw clenched in a way that told Lily she was playing with dynamite, and it could explode any second. She swallowed hard and looked to Grace again, desperately trying to muster up the courage to speak again.  
'Lily?' Emily pushed, when silence had hung in the air for a moment too long. Lily looked across to the older brunette, the woman who had been through so much pain and suffering over the past few weeks, and she felt such an immense amount of guilt because she was sure she was about to cause more. She was very aware of the fact that she was possibly about to break her Mother's heart again. With a deep breath, she pulled her rucksack from her back and unzipped it, before stuffing her hand inside and pulling out a small, white envelope.

'This' she said simply as she handed the envelope to Emily. The older woman stared at it for a second before taking the envelope from Lily's hand and slowly opened it. Her mind raced with every thought under the sun as to what was inside of it. Had Lily been expelled from school? Was she in trouble with the Police? Had she gotten herself pregnant!? Her mind went to all kinds of crazy places, but none of them were even remotely close to the truth. With shaking hands, Emily pulled out a single piece of paper, her eyes landing immediately on three words that made her blood run cold. ' _United States Army_ ' sat beside the circular logo that she had grown up looking at. That god forsaken Eagle looking back at her as if it were trying to suss out how she felt about this particular situation, and if she was honest, she didn't know. Emily had no idea what she thought about this or how she felt, all she knew was that she was in complete and utter shock.

'Em, what is it?' Alison asked with a shaky voice, having observed her Wife's face drain of all colour just seconds ago. Emily swallowed hard and silently handed the letter to Alison, her eyes remaining focused ahead of her at the wall, unblinking and unmoving. Alison took the letter anxiously, her eyes flicking straight to the paper, and suddenly she felt her anger flare up with full force the second she saw those same three words that had caused Emily to go into a state of catatonia. Her face reddened and Lily could practically see the steam shoot from her ears.  
'Absolutely not!' Alison said abruptly, the paper crinkling in her tightly gripping fingers.  
'But-'  
'No!' Alison interrupted, her eyes shooting daggers at her daughter. 'I have spent your entire life protecting you, I'm not about to send you off to a warzone so that you can come back in a body bag!' She screamed as she fought back the images that flooded her mind, of Lily lying dead in a desert somewhere with limbs missing and nobody around her who cared.

'Mom, it's not like-' Lily attempted to argue gain, her own anger flaring up, because her Moms had always encouraged her to be what she wanted to be and do what she wanted to do, within reason of course. Never had either of her Moms put their foot down when it came to something regarding her future, especially something that was so important to her.  
'I said no!' Alison interrupted again, her own anger steamrolling over Lily's with a mastered perfection. With a final glare, she screwed up the letter and tossed it into the trash, as if to finalise the argument.  
'Mom, it's just an application, I'm not guaranteed to get in, and even if I do I'm not going to die!' Lily argued, her eyes growing wide as she watched the paper fly into the trashcan.

Alison took a deep breath, trying to cam herself down a little because she knew that she was beginning to grow irate, and she was well aware that that would only cause more chaos.  
'Lily, you've already been through so much, more than any other kid your age. Why would you want to run off to war?' Alison asked in a calmer tone, her jaw still clenched in an effort to stop herself from screaming because she was seriously bubbling over and she wasn't sure how long she could hold it in for. Meanwhile Emily remained silent and unmoving, not that anyone other than Grace noticed this.  
'Because I want to do something that matters' Lily replied with a passion and fire in her eyes that she hadn't had before. 'Like you said, I've been through a lot, we all have.' She continued, her eyes widening as she continued, and as much as she hated this whole scenario, Alison could see that this was something that Lily clearly felt deeply about.

'Everything we've been through, I always felt helpless like there was nothing I could do to stop it, and I don't want to feel like that anymore. I don't want to go through life unable to stop bad things from happening' Lily explained, her heart beating rapidly as she felt adrenaline rush through her at the mere thought of doing something that could change people's lives. Something dangerous and daring and fulfilling. Something that gave her a purpose in this miserable world. Alison's lips pulled into a tight, thin line as she listened, her brow creasing with concentration as she took in her daughter's words, silently disagreeing with each and every one of them because there was no way in hell her baby was going to join the army. Not on her watch.  
'There are a million ways you can help people. You don't have to join the army to do it' she argued firmly, her voice remaining calm and even in a way that made Grace's eye widen because a calm tone when their Mom was pissed wasn't ever a good sign. She had been on the receiving end of it many times and knew the warning signs well, unlike Lily who rarely got on her Mother's bad side and was beginning to think she was winning their parent round.

'What am I going to do, Mom? Go to college, get a degree and sit in an office day in and day out, doing a job that means nothing in this world?' Lily asked softly, her eyes begging for her Mom to understand and accept that this was the choice she had made. Her eyes flickered to Emily, who still remained motionless, and Lily wasn't sure whether her other Mom was listening at all to the conversation that was playing out before her. 'I've spent my whole life trying to figure out what I want to do with my life and this is the one thing that makes sense to me. It's the one thing that fits!' She added for good measure, looking back to Alison. Their eyes locked and the blonde woman could see that steely look of determination that had often been present in her own eyes, and it only made her more frustrated because her daughters were both as stubborn as she had been, and still could be to some extent, and it was infuriating.  
'There are so many other things you can do with your life that don't involve you throwing yourself into immediate danger!' Alison argued, her voice raising slightly as she continued to argue with the feisty brunette.

'Nothing that makes me feel like this!' Lily yelled back. The passion and fire that came from Emily, coursed through her and paired with the stubborn determination she seemed to get from Alison. These two strong aspects of both her parents had seemingly embodied themselves into both of their daughters, and while Grace used them to her advantage at all times, Lily usually held herself together in a calm and composed manner. In fact this was the first time she had really shown the full potential of the behaviour she had both inherited and learned from her parents. While Grace was difficult at the best of times, Alison usually had a pretty good shot at winning her over and beating her down from whatever perch she sat upon, she was quickly seeing however, that Lily wasn't going to give up on this. Her resolution didn't fade even the slightest and her passion and drive seemed to only spur her on.

Alison turned to Emily with a pained expression, the brunette still scarily silent and still.  
'Em, will you talk some sense into our daughter please?' Alison asked in a pleading tone, desperate to get Lily to see that this wasn't them being mean, but them trying to protect her. Emily's eyes focused on Alison's for a second before flitting back to their daughter.  
'How long have you been thinking about this?' She asked in an eerily calm tone. Grace felt the hair raise on her neck, as if a cold wind had given her a chill, while Lily blinked hard at the unexpected question before answering.  
'A while now' she answered with a furrowed brown, unable to detect what route this conversation was going to go down. Emily simply nodded her head in response, biting her bottom lip for a long moment while Alison, Lily and Grace all looked at her expectantly.

'And you understand what it means? To join the army, I mean?' Emily asked, her eyes looking back up at Lily. She needed to read her daughter, really understand that she knew what she was about to put herself through.  
'I know' Lily replied in a small voice, her eyes peering at her Mom with caution and intrigue as she waited to see what the older woman was going to say next.  
'You know it's not just drills and marches, and it's not some video game that you can play again if you get shot' Emily continued in a serious tone. Her eyes never once left Lily's as she spoke the words that she knew would show just how serious the younger brunette was about her career aspirations. 'This is the real deal. You'll have to work hard and probably go to war. You'll have to shoot a gun, possibly at another human. You might physically take a person's life, and you'll have to deal with that and live with it. Things that grown men had struggled with' she finished, knowing just how true her own words were.

Emily had been witness to the times her Dad had come back on leave from whatever country he had gone to fight in. She had seen the darkness in his eyes that told her he had shot another man. She had felt the way her usually warm and loving Father, would feel colder and more distant than usual. The way he'd hold her tight and hug her for just a little longer, as though he would never see her again, because he was sure he was going to die in whatever war he had come from. He never spoke about it, but Emily knew that her father had experienced some horrific things in his time, and she was sure that it haunted his dreams until the day he died.  
'I know' Lily mumbled softly, her confidence long gone because while she knew that those things were a possibility, seeing the seriousness on her Mother's face as she so bluntly stated them as fact was nerve wracking.

Emily nodded softly again, while Alison looked at her with questioning eyes, because this was not how she thought the conversation would go. She thought that Emily would be angry, like she was. She thought Emily would put her foot down and tell Lily that there was no way in the world that she was joining the army.  
'Ok. And you're sure this is what you want to do?' The brunette woman asked instead, her voice remaining calm while Alison silently fumed behind her, and her features remaining placid and soft, while Alison's jaw clenched and her cheeks reddened.  
'More than anything' Lily replied as she looked from Emily to Alison, their contrasting moods evident on their faces.

'Ok' Emily replied with a heavy breath. A moment passed where Alison glared at her Wife's simple response, before she turned to Grace and spoke again. 'Grace, I'm assuming the fact that you're here means you're coming home?' She asked, slightly hopeful at the possibility of her family all being under the one roof again after weeks of them being apart.  
'Uh, yeah' Grace answered apprehensively, unsure of what was happening. She had expected yelling and screaming from both of her parents, so the fact that her Mom was insanely calm was confusing, to say the least  
'Good' Emily said as she stood from her chair, putting her hands on her hips as she ducked her head for a second before looking back up at her daughters, who were both staring at her light deer caught in headlights. 'You're both grounded for a week for skipping school. Go to your rooms please' she added simply, bracing herself for the arguments she was sure were to come from the two teenagers.

Grace and Lily looked at each other with raised eyebrows, before they both silently turned and left the kitchen to head upstairs. Silence fell upon the kitchen momentarily, until Alison began to talk, her anger now so built up she was practically shaking.  
'Have she lost her damn mind?' She began to rant, rounding to Emily, who looked completely drained already, though was prepared for this argument with her Wife. She had felt the blonde fuming behind her and had chosen to momentarily ignore it until they were alone and could hash the situation out in privacy. 'The army!? I mean, where did that even come from!?' Alison ranted, raking her hands through her hair as her mind became filled with images of her sweet, little Lily wandering aimlessly through a battlefield. 'Like we're going to let her handle machine guns bigger than her and shoot at people!? She couldn't even handle it the time Caleb took them paintballing!'

'I think we should let her do it' Emily interrupted in a soft voice, stopping Alison in her tracks. She spun on her heels, her eyes burning into her Wife like fire.  
'What!?' Her voice was shrill and her throat hurt from the shouting, but she couldn't stop herself. She couldn't believe Emily was condoning this. Emily inwardly flinched at the look Alison was giving her, but she was determined to stand her ground on this, even if it meant pissing off her Wife. She turned towards the coffee maker and switched it on, needing to busy her hands while the blonde bore daggers into the back of her head.  
'Well, it wouldn't be right to stop her. Not when this is what she wants to do with her life' she stated casually, knowing full well that she was playing with fire.  
'Emily! We are not sending our baby girl to war!' Alison shrieked hysterically, causing the brunette to turn and face her.

'She's not our baby girl anymore, Ali. She's an adult, and we can't stop her from doing this' she replied in a flat tone as she reached out to hold Alison's arm in an effort to relax the frenzied blonde. Alison shrugged away, crossing her arms over her chest as she scowled at her Wife.  
'What the hell is wrong with you?' Alison growled as her eyes flickered up and down Emily's face. 'How can you not see how stupid she is for wanting to do this!?' She asked, causing the other woman to let out a huff of exhaustion. Emily placed her hands on the table and leaned into them, chewing on the inside of her lip as she thought of the best way to explain to Alison that their difference of opinion on the matter didn't make her a monster and that she wasn't by any means encouraging their daughter to rush off and get herself killed.  
'My Dad was in the army, Alison' Emily started with a heavy breath. She looked up through her eyelashes to look at the other woman, whose eyes were fixed on her. 'I know you know that, and I know that you know how much I missed him and how scared I was when he was gone. But I was also proud.' She stated with a small smile as she remembered those times she would brag as a child, about how her Dad got to look after everyone in the country and how he kept the bad people away. Emily stood up straight again, wanting to look Alison in the eye so that she really understood who she was in this instance. Why she had different opinions and morals on the subject at hand.

'I was proud because he was doing something that allowed us to sleep safely in our beds at night. He was protecting our country and fighting for our people. He was an honourable man, and I was proud' Emily continued, her smile growing as she remembered the times she would feel that pride. It was a pride she hadn't allowed herself to think about for a long time after his death, and she never really felt it to the full extent since then. Then she remembered the times that weren't so great. When that pride was barely enough to keep her going, because while she was being proud of her father for fighting for their country, he was in a warzone trying to do his job, and she never knew if he was coming home or not. Her smile faded, a more serious expression taking it's place as she opened her mouth again to speak. Alison's anger had somewhat dissipated, and instead she had a curious look on her face, because of course she knew that Wayne Fields was in the armed forces, and she knew how much Emily loved him and how much pride she had in him, but she had never heard her Wife talk about him with such vigour and honest before.

'Ali, I don't want our daughter to be killed, but I don't want to stop her from doing something incredible just because we're scared. I mean, why shouldn't she have people look up to her, the way people looked up to my Dad? Why shouldn't she have a purpose on this planet?' Emily asked sincerely, her tone wondering and begging for Alison to understand that this was about more than them . This was about their daughter and all the good she could do, and the fact that she was brave enough to do it. Alison's eyes softened as she took in her Wife's words. Words she hadn't considered amongst the thoughts of destruction and horror that she was sure her daughter would be subjected to. She thought about how Emily glowed when she talked about her Dad and she loved that the other woman had someone in her life that she was able to, at some point, look up to and be so incredibly proud of. She also knew that Lily, as brass and courageous as she might be, was not Wayne Fields, and while some women might be thrilled to have a child in the military, Alison didn't think she could ever be one of them.

'I get that you're proud of your Dad and that the Military was a huge part of your life, but Lily is not your Father, Emily' Alison replied, taking the brunette's hand delicately into her own. She looked down at the hand she had been holding for the majority of her life, and thought back to all those times she held this same hand when Emily was worried about her Father. She thought of that time that Mr Fields hadn't called in a little over a week, and the other girl spent nights without sleep, because she was so worried that he wasn't coming home. It turned out that he was in a location with really crappy cell service and was unable to call despite the many efforts he made to contact his family. Alison wanted to hold Emily's hand every single day for the rest of her life, but she didn't want one of those days to be the day they got the news that their daughter had been killed in action. She didn't ever want to hear that news.  
'She's fragile and naive and the army would destroy her. I don't want to spend the rest of my life worried that we're going to get pieces of our daughter back in a bag' Alison continued, her eyes brimming with tears at the mere thought of that possibility. It was every parent's worst nightmare, people had told her that since day one, but she wasn't aware of how exactly true that statement was until she was faced with the possibility of it becoming a reality.

'Ali, I'm not going to tell you that it's not scary, because I'd be lying' Emily stated with a sigh, as she dropped Alison's hand, instead bringing it up to tuck a strand of hair behind her Wife's ear and cupped her cheek. 'But one day you'll look at her and you'll see her for the brave and courageous woman that she's become, and your heart will swell with pride, and it'll be worth those times that you're so terrified, you can't sleep. Besides, Lily isn't as fragile as you think. She's strong and tough, just like her Mom' she declared lovingly, a small smile gracing her features, that Alison couldn't help but match. Alison sighed in content. She still thought her daughter was crazy as hell and she still wasn't happy about the whole situation, but there was something about Emily's touch that still had the ability to ground her, even when she was at her angriest.  
'I don't ever think I'll not be scared' she half whispered as she got lost in Emily's eyes. The brunette leaned in and captured Alison's lips in a single, sweet kiss before resting their foreheads together.  
'Just give it time. Whatever happens, we'll get through it together' she replied before giving Alison another chaste peck.  
'I love you, you know that?' Alison mumbled against Emily's lips as they parted, feeling her Wife's arms tighten around her waist, her own snaking around the taller woman's neck.  
'Hmm, you might have mentioned it once or twice' Emily hummed before chuckling. Alison rolled her eyes and tilted her head up to kiss her again.

Lily leaned back into the pillows, propped up against her headboard, while Grace lay with her head in her sister's lap. They had been lying this way since they had been grounded by their Mom, not that either of them really cared. They had spent far too much time apart over the past few weeks, and they had both secretly, or not so secretly in some cases, missed each other like crazy. Being grounded wasn't so much a punishment when it meant you got to hang out with your best friend all day every day, with no interruptions or extra people to entertain.  
'I can't believe you're going to sign up to join the army' Grace stated with wide eyes and a smile that made Lily giggle, because she had never seen that look of admiration on her twin's face before. Not directed at her anyway. 'Like, that's badass! I didn't think you had it in you' the other brunette added with a disbelieving chuckle. She had expected Lily to go to Medical school of Law school, or win a Nobel prize or something. She never in a million years expected her to go and join the army.

'You don't think I'm being stupid?' Lily asked with a naivety to her voice that made her sound young and vulnerable and not like someone who was about to sign up to a lifelong career in the Armed Forces.  
'Oh yeah, you're stupid, and I'm pretty sure you won't last 3 months, but you're also pretty brave' Grace replied, her somewhat jokey tone turning sincere quickly. She glanced up at Lily, her eyes more open and honest and loving than they were with anyone else. 'I know Grandma would be proud of you. She'd say something corny and sentimental about you following in Grandpa Wayne's footsteps, or something' Grace added as soft brown eyes became flooded with unshed tears at the mention of the older woman, who still meant everything to them. Lily's own tears quickly formed but she wiped them away with a chuckle as she imagined their Grandma saying something that only made sense to her about their Grandpa Wayne when he was in the Army. They sat in a peaceful silence, the only sound coming from the breeze blowing through the small opening of the window before Lily felt a heaviness in her chest and found that she needed to talk to take her mind off of the impending grief that had been looming over her since the day Pam Fields had passed away.

'So...what are you going to do? I mean, High School is almost over and you haven't really talked about your college applications' Lily pushed, wanting to know what Grace's plans were, especially now that her own had changed. A few months ago they had been planning to go to Stanford together to join their Mom, and in turn keep their family together. Now, their Mom had quit the job in California, deciding that it wasn't for her, and Lily wasn't going to college at all.  
'Well, obviously I was planning on going to Stanford. Take up on that scholarship offer but now I'm not so sure anymore' Grace replied thoughtfully, because honestly she really wasn't sure what she was going to do. Since they were young, Lily was always the one who wanted to go to college, whereas Grace was never that bothered. All she ever wanted to do was to be close to her sister, and so she had decided a long time ago that wherever Lily went, she would go too. She figured she was always going to end up swimming, and she could get into anywhere on a scholarship, why not be with Lily while she did that.

'So, what's your plan now?' Lily asked, feeling a tinge of guilt that she had inevitably changed both of their plans for college, without consulting her sister first.  
'Well, I was never overly crazy about college, but I think Moms would freak if we both decided not to go so...I'm not sure' Grace replied with a thoughtful pout. 'I guess I'll go for my second option' she added casually, causing Lily to blink hard because she really didn't think that Grace would have a back up plan.  
'Which is?' Lily pried, narrowing her eyes curiously.  
'Pre-med at Washington University' Grace stated with a shrug, causing Lily to choke and her eyes to widen at the surprise response.  
'Wait, you got into Washington Pre-med?' Lily asked in shock, as she sat up from her position, knocking Grace from her lap.  
'You sound surprised' Grace rebounded with mock offence, knowing full well that she had kept those cards close to her chest and really, she had only applied on a whim after watching too many episodes of Grey's Anatomy. She figured if the douche bags on that show could pull off being Doctors, so could she.

'I just didn't know you wanted to go into medicine. You've never exactly been into books' Lily pointed out delicately, not wanting to say that she never thought her sister had the brains to get into Pre-med, or the drive to actually go through the tedious and everlasting years of training.  
'Hey, I grew up with you for a sister and two teachers for parents. I might not be as much of a nerd as you, but I have my own secret smarts' Grace joked, though she secretly felt a little embarrassed by her secret, and recently found ambition of going into medicine. She knew it wasn't something to be ashamed of, but she had always been seen as the daredevil of the two of them. The one who would do outlandish and crazy things, while Lily was always the cooler more sensible of the two. It seemed that somewhere along the line they had switched places, and now Grace was the one about to embark upon many years of education while Lily was running around minefields and playing out her own real life version of Call of Duty.

'Wow, always full of surprises' Lily giggled, though she couldn't stop the proud look from creeping up on her face, causing Grace to blush and look at the duvet beneath her.  
'Well, you'll be grateful for that when I'm piecing your body back together because you shot yourself in the foot or blew yourself up with a grenade or something' Grace responded playfully as she picked at the down cover. Lily let out a loud laugh at the dark joke, causing her sister to quickly join in with the infectious giggle until the two of them were laughing hard and loud until they had stitches in their sides. For the first time in weeks, things felt light again, like the house had been filled with helium and everything was floating. Things felt good. They felt right.  
'Seriously though, promise me you'll be careful?' Grace asked in a slightly more serious tone, once the laughter had stopped. She looked up at her sister through her eyelashes. Her younger (by three and a half minutes) sister was about to embark on something dangerous and potentially life threatening, and for the first time, that hit Grace like a slap to the face.  
'I promise' Lily replied in an equally serious tone, her brow furrowed as she felt the emotion that lingered between them in that moment. Grace smiled at Lily before cuddling back into her. Lily leaned back into the pillows and wrapped her arm around her sister, and they lay in a blissful silence as they both got lost in their thoughts. Lily didn't want to tell Grace that she was actually terrified of going to the army. Sure, she was excited by the prospect, and everything she had said to her Moms earlier about wanting to make a difference was true, but she was also scared. Mostly, because for the first time she knew she wouldn't have Grace by her side to push her through the tough times, and she was aware that there would be many of those. She wasn't entirely sure how to live her life without her sister by her side. Little did she know, grace was having the exact same thoughts about med-school.

A light knock on the door broke the silence, followed by Emily's head poking around the doorframe. She couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face when she saw the girls cuddled up together on the bed, a picture that was so reminiscent of when they were younger. Grace went through a period of having nightmares when she was around 6, but was always to ashamed to admit it and so she would climb into Lily's bed under the pretence of protecting her sister from the monsters under the bed. Emily and Alison were all too aware of their daughter's antics, having heard the young brunette whimpering in the night many times, but never mentioned it. They loved how close the girls were and how even from a young age, they found comfort in one another. It was something that had never changed with them.  
'Hey, I just wanted to talk to you' Emily said as she made her way into the room and perched at the ned of the bed, the girls sitting up to face her.  
'Ok' Lily pushed for her Mom to expand, her face filled with worry that they were going to finally put their foot down on the whole army thing. She gripped Grace's hand and felt relief when she felt the other girl grip back.  
'Well, your Mom and I talked-' Emily started, only to be cut off by Grace snickering.  
'That's an understatement. I'm pretty sure the other side of Rosewood heard Mom screaming at you' the teenager snarked with an amused smirk, which was quickly dropped when Emily glared at her.

'We talked and decided that if you want to join the army, then we will support you' Emily continued, focusing her attention back on Lily.  
'Really?' Lily asked sceptically, waiting for her Mom to turn around and take it all back, because she really hadn't expected to get her Mom's blessing on this.  
'Yeah. It's going to take your Mom some time to get her head around, but she'll get there. Just promise me you'll be safe' Emily replied with a loving smile.  
'I promise' Lily promised, unable to stop the happy grin from spreading across her face, causing Emily's to grow wider and in turn, Grace's.  
'Uh, while we're being all lovey dovey, I just wanted to apologise' Grace said, her smile falling a little as she avoided her Mom's eye contact. 'I'm sorry for the way I acted after Grandma...' She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence she had started. Emily looked on with sympathy, knowing just how hard everything had been on Grace, because it had been hard on her too.  
'I know. It's forgotten' she replied with a finality to her voice that told her daughter they didn't need to talk about it anymore.  
'Ok' Grace whispered sheepishly, genuinely feeling bad for what she had put her Moms through over the past few weeks.

Alison stood quietly, listening from outside of the door and couldn't help but feel sad that in a few short months, her baby girls would be leaving the home they had grown up in, and would begin their own journeys. She chuckled at herself, knowing that usually it was Emily who freaked out about their kids growing up, and she would be the one to impart her words of wisdom upon her Wife to stop her from all but wrapping their children up in bubble wrap and sticking them into the freezer in an effort to stop them from aging. Yet, here was Emily, being accepting and loving, and treating their daughters like the adults they were, while Alison wanted to tuck them under her arm and cradle them like the babies she still saw them as. She felt her eyes sting with unshed tears and quickly rubbed them away when she saw the door creak open. Out came Emily with a knowing smile, because Alison had never been able to hide her tears from her Wife, even before they had become a couple. Emily smiled at the blonde and walked over, wrapping the shorter woman up in her arms before placing a tender kiss to the top of her head, while Alison cuddled into her breast.

'We raised pretty great kids, right?' Emily wondered aloud with a smile, because she already knew the answer. She knew that they probably weren't the world's greatest parents, but she figured that as far as raising children goes, they had done a pretty decent job between the two of them.  
'Yeah, we did' Alison replied with a content sigh and a smile on her face. She let out a heavy breath and allowed herself to revel in the feeling of Emily holding her close before she pulled away and looked her Wife in the eyes.  
'You think they're going to be Ok?' She asked, her brow furrowing with slight concern. She was already feeling anxious about the girls leaving home, and they still had a few months until it would be happening. Emily rubbed her hands up and down Alison's arms in an effort to relax her.  
'I think that their lives will go however they're supposed to, and if things go wrong, we will be here to pick them back up. Until then, we have to let go a little' she replied, speaking her words carefully but surely, causing Alison to nod and cuddle back into her.  
'You're right' she whispered as she tilted her head back to look Emily in the eye. 'I love you so much, Emily' she added adoringly.  
'I love you too, Alison' came the sweet reply, as Emily leaned down and captured her Wife's lips in her own.

* * *

 **So what did we think guys? Lily's joining the army. Bet you didn't see that coming did you?**

 **I'm going to fill you all in on a little secret. Originally I had planned (right from the beginning) to have Grace be the one to sign up to the army, but when I was writing this chapter, that just didn't feel right to me. Grace is hardy and ballsy and tough, but she's also sensitive and is very much like Alison in the way that she runs from scary situations. She doesn't handle pressure well at all. Lily however is quieter and much more reserved on the surface, yet is secretly strong and handles stress extremely well. She takes difficult situations and approaches them head on, much like Emily. (Just think back to the school shooting and how they both handled that). To me, it made more sense for Lily to be the one to sign up to do something outlandish and dangerous, than for Grace, especially with everything they've been through. As I was writing the last few chapters, I was really able to get into her mind and see how she would want to stop all the bad stuff from happening and make a difference.**

 **As for Alison and Emily, they're slowly building their relationship back up again after the strain of California and Pam's death. Emily is still clearly very much struggling, but in true Emily style, is hiding it and pushing it away, while Alison is trying to keep it together for the sake of their family.  
It made sense to me that Alison would hit the roof about Lily joining the army, whereas Emily would be shocked but supportive. She's from a military family. She understands the honour of fighting for your country, as well as the worry and fear that comes along with it. Alison only sees the scary side of it, and therefore is much more apprehensive about it. **

**Anyway, I'll end this long analysis. I hope you enjoyed the direction I took things. I will round everything up in a neat little bow in the epilogue. Until then**

 **Farewell my friends**

 **Lo**

 **xx**


	24. Forever Young - Epilogue

**What's up my beautiful bitches. This has been a VEEEEERY long time coming. I know I kinda disappeared off the radar for a while but I had a lot going on for a while there, including a death in the family that really sort of messed me up, so I apologise for the absence.**

 **Now you've waited for this Epilogue for long enough, so I'm going to let you read, but there is an epic A/N at the end, so please do take the time to read it.**

 **Lo**  
 **xxx  
**

* * *

Emily placed a bright red t-shirt onto the pile in front of her. She let out a sigh as she remembered that this would probably be the last time she would ever have to do her daughters' laundry. While she was downstairs folding clothes into piles, Lily and Grace were packing up the last of their rooms upstairs. Grace seemed to be packing everything in sight, and had practically stripped the room bare, while Lily was taking a much more practical approach and had decided to only pack the bare essentials, since she would mostly be in uniform while she was away for her basic training.  
'Hey' came a soft, croaky greeting from behind her. Emily turned to see a red eyed Alison standing in the kitchen doorway. Emily could tell she had been crying, she had been doing so more and more over the past few weeks as the day for Lily and Grace to leave drew closer.  
'You ok?' Emily asked sympathetically, as she turned and made her way to Alison. She wrapped her arms around her Wife and pulled her in close, placing a soft kiss to Alison's temple.  
'I'm fine' Alison replied, the same response she always had, because she refused to admit that she was sad about the girls leaving home.

Emily pulled back and looked at Alison skeptically.  
'Babe...' She reprimanded gently, raising an eyebrow that told Alison not to even try to lie.  
'Don't' Alison breathed, holding a hand out to tell Emily to stop pushing. 'If I stand here and talk, I'm going to be a mess. Just, give me that pile of clothes and I'll take it up to Grace' Alison stated with a pleading look. Emily pulled her lips to the side in thought, before finally nodding and handing Alison the pile of clothes.  
'Thank you' Alison whispered as she leaned in to peck Emily on the lips, before she turned to head up the stairs. She reached the landing and made her way to Grace's room, where the sound of loud, thumping music was blasting through the open door. Alison reached the open door and froze by the entrance to the room, her mind instantly flashing back to the night that Grace had spent her first night in this very room

 _Emily and Alison made their way up the stairs, both women dreading the nightly bedtime routine. Usually it was fairly simple and would only require one of them to tuck both girls up in the one bed, read to them until they fell asleep and then move them to their own beds later on in the evening once they were in a deep enough sleep that they wouldn't wake. Tonight, however, was a different story. Tonight was the first night that Five year old Lily and Grace were spending the night apart. Alison and Emily had both agreed that since the girls were getting a little older now, maybe it was time for them to have their own rooms, since they knew that eventually it would happen anyway. Plus, they figured it wouldn't hurt to allow the girls to experience some time apart. They had been together since the womb, after all. It was an idea that Grace was thoroughly excited about, while Lily seemed a little more apprehensive about sleeping alone._

 _'Good luck!' Emily snickered over her shoulder, as she made her way towards the room and Lily and Grace had both shared._  
 _'Thanks' Alison replied grumpily, rolling her eyes as she made her way towards Grace's new room. She loved her daughter's equally, of course, but having the task of putting Grace to bed was something she was sure would make a Priest curse to high heaven. Since she was a baby, she had always been a nightmare to settle, and it only seemed to get worse as she got older. Lily on the other hand, would be able to settle down for the night even if there were a full blown rave happening in her bedroom. As soon as the word bed was mentioned, she'd be up the stairs and ready to have her story read to her. Her calming nature seemed to help a little with keeping Grace under control, but both Emily and Alison knew that without Lily, Grace was going to be even more of a nightmare tonight._

 _Alison braced herself and plastered on her best smile, as she entered Grace's new bedroom. She wasn't at all surprised to find that Grace had emptied the entirety of her toy trunk and was giggling to herself, while she raced toy cars along the carpet._  
 _'Ok Gracey, it's bed time' Alison said in her best attempt at a calm, cheerful voice, though she knew she'd be feeling anything but in about 5 minutes. Alison headed over to Grace and began to tidy away the toys that scattered the carpet._  
 _'I'm not tired yet, Mommy' Grace whined, her lips pouting in a way that was so like Emily, Alison constantly had to stop herself from caving instantly._

 _'It's late. Come on, get into bed' Alison stated, as she placed the last few toys into the chest._  
 _'But I don't_ _wanna_ _sleep!' Grace moaned, her arms slapping by her sides, a sure sign she was about to throw a tantrum, which Alison was not about to deal with. She stepped closer to Grace and lifted her off the ground, onto her hip._  
 _'You'll feel tired when you're in bed, now come' Alison assured her daughter, her voice still relatively calm despite her waning patience. It seemed that despite five years of parenting and having grown older, Alison's patience was something that still seemed to wear thin very quickly, and she hated that about herself._

 _Alison gently placed Grace into bed and tucked her in, before settling herself on the edge of the small bed._  
 _'Ok, what story would you like tonight?' Alison asked, as she smoother her fingers through Grace's dark hair. It was an action that had relaxed her since she was a baby, and therefore was Alison and Emily's secret weapon when it came to bedtime._  
 _'What about Lily?' Grace asked softly, her body already calming under her Mother's touch. Alison couldn't help but smile as she looked down at Grace's chestnut coloured eyes, that much like her Mother, told every emotion and thought and feeling, like an open book. Right now, they were filled with curiosity and worry for her sister, because god forbid Lily wouldn't get a bedtime story too! That, in Grace's eyes, was inconceivable._  
 _'Lily's fine. Momma's reading her a story right now' Alison reassured Grace, her voice now genuinely soft and calm, because when Grace was calm, she felt a lot less on edge and like she could screw up her perfect daughter with her own imperfections._

 _Grace's mouth opened into a small O shape, as though she had just come to the biggest realisation._  
 _'Can I go listen to?' she asked, her small eyebrows furrowing together tightly. Alison's heart swelled with love in that instant, and she didn't think it would be possible to love anyone as much as she loved her daughters. In fact, before Emily, she didn't think it possible to love anyone, but Emily had proven her wrong on that. She loved Emily with all her heart, and she firmly believed that nobody could even compare with that love. When Grace and Lily had come along however, it took all of five seconds for Alison to realise that she would personally use Emily as a human shield in order to defend those little girls._  
 _'You don't want your own story?' Alison asked as she snapped back to reality._  
 _'Yeah…but Lily might get scared without me' Grace replied hesitantly. Alison could see that the small girl was feeling anxious, but even at 5 years old, Grace was already too headstrong and proud to admit anything that might make her seem weak. Admitting she missed her sister was not something she was going to do voluntarily._

 _Alison understood that sense of toughness and pride, it was something that had course through her own veins over the year, even now; clearly, Grace had somehow inherited that_ _DiLaurentis_ _family trait. It was that familiarity, mixed with the puppy dog look that Grace had perfected from Emily, that caused Alison to give in quickly._  
 _'Ok, why don't we go have a story together, and then I'll tuck you into bed after?' Alison sighed. She had barely finished her sentence, before Grace leapt from the bed, causing Alison to pull her hand back quickly. She chuckled as Grace bounded out of the door and down the hall, before following her energetic daughter._

 _'Grace!' she heard Emily call out, and as she rounded the hall. When she entered Lily's bedroom, she found that Grace had dive bombed onto the bed, straight on top of Lily and Emily. Alison laughed as she watched Emily struggle to get Grace off of her, while Lily lay beside the two of them, wide eyed and clearly shocked._  
 _'We came for a bedtime story' Alison chuckled, as she made her way into the room. She grabbed Grace and settled in beside Emily, pulling the rambunctious five year old into her body. Emily straightened up and shifted on the bed, so that Lily and Grace were now settled between them. It was a laughable sight, the four of them squeezed onto a single bed, but it worked, and that night, both girls had fallen asleep before Emily had finished the story, while wrapped up in their mothers' arms._

'Hey, Mom sorted your laundry for you' Alison said as she pulled herself from her memory. Grace span on the spot, clearly surprised that her Mom was standing in the doorway.  
'Oh, thanks!' she replied cheerfully, and a little too loudly over the music. She quickly hit the pause button on her iPod dock and grabbed the pile of clothes from Alison's arms.  
'Your room looks so empty' Alison stated a little sadly, as she looked around at the walls that used to be littered with posters and pictures, but was now a blank, lilac canvas. The cream carpet, that used to be covered in hair bobbles and clothes, was now clutter free and relatively clean, vacuuming clearly wasn't Grace's forte. The closet that was previously rammed with un-ironed and some unwashed, clothes was now almost completely empty. Grace had pretty much packed the entirety of her bedroom, and the now barren space was making Alison's emotions get the better of her again.

'Yeah, well there's no point in leaving it all here when I'm going to be in Seattle' Grace stated nonchalantly, seemingly oblivious to her Mother's looming melt down. Grace tossed her neatly folded pile of clothes, messily into a suitcase on her bed.  
'Right...' Alison croaked as she let out a heavy breath. She swallowed hard as she flicked her eyes to the ceiling in an effort to fight back the tears that threatened to fall.  
'Give me a shout if you need help with anything' Alison added, before hastily exiting the room, barely catching the hum of acknowledgement from Grace, before her music was switched back on and rap music filled the upper floor of the house again. Alison steadied herself on the landing, taking a moment to gather herself before she continued down the hall to Lily's room. She knocked lightly on the closed door, before pushing it open and stepping into the room.

'Hey' Alison greeted softly, her hands clutching together in front of her, because she wasn't entirely sure of the reception she was going to receive from her daughter. Their relationship had been somewhat rocky the past few months, and Alison knew that was mostly because of her own issues.  
'Hi' Lily replied, facing away from her Mother. The fact that she didn't turn around in her presence hurt Alison, and she could tell that her daughter was feeling just as awkward as she was. It was almost suffocating, and Alison knew she needed to fix things with Lily. She just didn't know how. She didn't know how to get her head around the fact that her daughter was running off to join the army, where she would be surrounded by guns and bombs and tanks. She couldn't fathom the idea of her baby coming to any harm, and even though Emily had told her time and time again that the army was so much more than war, she still couldn't shake the images from her mind.

'How's the packing going?' Alison asked, trying desperately to get Lily to open up and talk to her. Her hope was lost however, when she received a short, one worded response.  
'Fine'  
'You got much left?' Alison tried again, desperately wanting her daughter to hold a proper conversation with her. She hated that things were strained with them, even more so because Lily would be leaving in a couple of days, and the thought of them being apart while Lily was mad at her, made Alison feel sick to the stomach.  
'A bit' Lily's response made Alison roll her eyes, and it took everything in her not to huff out in exasperation.  
'Well, do you need any help?' Alison's voice was slightly sharper than before, and she inwardly cringed the second she had spoken those words, because the last thing she wanted to do was piss Lily off. She had found out first hand over the past few months that her daughter had inherited her own flare for the dramatics, and she could hold an argument better than any DiLaurentis ever could.

'Nope' Lily's lips popped at the end of the word, and she still refused to turn to face her mother, instead focusing her attention on the pile of laundry she was folding and packing.  
'Lily'  
'Look, Mom, if you're going to lecture me on the dangers of common warfare again, just stop' Lily snapped. Alison flinched at the tone of her daughter's voice, her heart twinging at the hidden aggression behind Lily's words.  
'Actually, I was going to say that I'm really proud of you' Alison said softly, her pain evident in her voice. The unexpected words caused Lily to freeze on the spot, and her head moved to the side slightly, signalling that she was listening. Alison, once again, allowed herself to hope that she could finally mend their relationship. She knew first hand how quickly relationships with Mother's and Daughter's could go downhill, her relationship with her own Mother was proof of that, and she wasn't going to let that happen with her own daughters. She would not have that toxic type of relationship with either Lily or Grace.

'I know that I'm not being fair to you' Alison began, ready to pour her heart out to Lily, because she had sworn a long time ago that she would do anything for her daughters, and she vowed to stick to that. 'I might not totally agree with your choice, but it's only because the thought of anything happening to you terrifies me. I wish I could wrap you up in cotton wool and keep you by my side for the rest of your life, but I know that you're an adult and eventually you need to go and live your life. If that's involves being in the army, then I'll learn to live with it' she finished. Her throat felt as though it were closing up and her eyes burned as she waited for what seemed like a lifetime for Lily to talk to her again. Lily, however, didn't say a word. Instead she silently placed down the pair of jeans she was holding in her hands and turned on her heels, before throwing herself at her Mom. Lily hugged Alison tightly, an action that was reciprocated gratefully by Alison.  
'I love you so, so much, Lily' Alison breathed, her eyes finally filling with the tears that had been threatening to fall.  
'I love you too, Mom' Lily replied, her own tears brimming her eyes. Alison held on to her daughter for as long as possible, while remembering the very first time she held her baby girl in her arms.

 _Alison's labour had been long and difficult. She had lost a lot of blood early on in the labour, which had worried Emily, who was convinced she was about to lose her Girlfriend and both of their babies, but Alison and the girls were fighters, and after 37 hours, came the first signs of a dark head of hair. Grace had come out screaming a little over a half hour later, all 4lb 2oz of her. She was small, but her lungs were mighty._  
 _'We have one baby girl, safe and sound' The Midwife exclaimed from between Alison's legs, as she lifted a tiny, screaming baby and handed her over to a nurse to be weighed and checked over. Alison let out a relieved groan, while Emily couldn't keep the smile from her face. She leaned in and cupped Alison's cheek with her hand, while placing a firm kiss on her girlfriend's sweaty brow._  
 _'I'm so proud of you, baby. You're doing amazing' Emily gushed. She was pretty sure that her love for Alison had grown infinitely in that moment._

' _Ok Alison, rest up for a minute, the other baby will be on their way soon and I'm going to need you to push again_ ' _The Midwife instructed with a smile, her head popping up between Alison's knees. Emily would have found the whole situation rather strange, had her children's lives not been in this woman's hands._  
 _'Ok' Alison replied, her voice weak and strained. Alison looked exhausted, her skin was pale and her eyes were surrounded by dark shadows, but Emily was sure she had never looked more beautiful. It_ _wasn't long before Alison's contractions started again and exactly 26 minutes later, Lily arrived into the world. Unlike her sister before her, Lily came out silently and without a sound. Emily instantly panicked at the lack of crying, she had seen too many TV shows and read enough books to know that babies should cry during birth. The nurses quickly rushed around the tiny baby, creating a mild chaos in the room._

 _'What's wrong with her? Is she ok?' Emily cried out to the several nurses, who were gathered around her daughter. After a few very tense minutes, a tiny, broken cry emitted around the room, filling both Emily and Alison with relief. A nurse began to fiddle with a machine, while Emily watched on curiously, though her view was somewhat obstructed. Before she could ask any more questions, a tiny swaddle of blankets was placed in her arms. When Emily looked down, her heart instantly filled with love for the tiny baby girl, who peaked out over the white blankets, her eyes already sparkling with mischief._  
 _'Hi baby girl_ ' _Emily breathed, her eye brimming with tears of happiness. Grace was the most perfect, beautiful thing that she had ever laid eyes on. She couldn't quite believe that this child had come from she and Ali; that someone had gifted them something quite so magical._

 _Alison smiled a tired smile from the bed, before reaching her hand out weakly to touch the baby in Emily's arms. Emily smiled at Alison and moved closer so she could see their perfect creation._  
 _'This is your Mommy' Emily whispered, her tears now rolling down her cheeks. She wasn't surprised to see that Alison too, had allowed her own tears to fall._  
 _'Hi my angel. How are you doing?' Alison whispered, her voice croaking from the tiredness that she was currently fighting._  
 _'Would you like to meet her sister?' A nurse asked, as she came over holding another bundle of blankets. When the nurse moved closer, Emily saw that their other daughter looked almost identical to her sister. The same dark head of hair, the same chestnut coloured eyes, the same olive coloured skin, however her face was covered with large straps and a tube covered her nose._

 _'Her lungs are still a little weak, so we're just giving her some help with breathing, but you can hold her' The nurse explained with a smile, instantly quelling Emily and Alison's worries, because their baby would be perfectly fine. The nurse carefully placed Lily upon Alison's chest, and Alison's hand instantly came up to hold the tiny baby's back. Alison hadn't realised until that point just how small their girls were, and it broke her heart to see one of them suffering. She felt as though she had already failed as a parent. She hadn't even been able to bring her girls into the world safely. It was in that moment that she vowed to protect her girls at all costs. Whatever it took, she would do it, because these girls were far too special and precious for anything to harm them. What she didn't know was that Emily was thinking the exact same, for both of them had felt their hearts fill with love and adoration for the two tiniest babies they had ever seen._

Emily entered the living room and flopped down onto the couch. Having spent the morning sorting laundry and sorting things for the girls, as well as running Jude to soccer practice, she was tired. She let out a heavy sigh and her eyes landed on a thick book on the bottom shelf of the bookcase. A smile creeped up her face and without another thought, she heaved herself up to grab it. She ran the book through her fingers as she sat back down with it in her hand. She leaned back into the cushions, opening the dark brown leather cover and her smile grew infinitely at the glossy picture and four happy faces that beamed back at her. It was her favourite picture of their wedding day. She and Alison were dressed in their wedding attire with large grins spread across their faces. Lily was perched firmly on Alison's hip, her head burrowed into her Mother's neck because she didn't want to have her picture taken. Grace on the other hand, who was being held by Emily, had a huge, cheeky grin and eyes that scream that they want to cause trouble. Emily noticed how the small girl was missing a shoe, and she couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle because it was just so typical of her daughter.

Emily turned through some more pages, seeing pictures of the girls on their first days at school, a picture of the girls holding Jude when he was born, even a picture featuring Lily, Grace and Jude with Sawyer, Ava, Oscar, Harper and Phoebe. The picture was taken a few years ago, Jude was probably only around 3 at the time, and was taken at Rosewood's annual funfair. The four families had all gone together, something which had become somewhat an annual tradition, and all eight children looked like they were having a field day. The picture was placed beneath a picture of Emily, Alison, Aria, Hanna and Spencer, which was taken a few years before Alison went missing. They were 12 years old and thought they had their whole lives figured out. How wrong they were.  
'Hey, what you doing?' Alison asked as she made her way into the living room. Her eyebrows furrowed when Emily didn't look up at her, so she made her way over to her Wife, popping down beside her on the couch, before leaning into her to look at the book.

'God, look how young we were' Alison gushed. She hadn't looked at these pictures in a long time, mostly because pictures of herself pre-disappearance made her feel nauseous.  
'Right? And we thought we were so grown up. Especially you' Emily chuckled, as she recalled how very 'mature' Alison was at 12 years old. It was almost scary how grown up Alison was, yet how naive she was at the same time.  
'Jeez, don't remind me' Alison groaned with a grimace, as she remembered some of the things she had gotten up to during her teenage years. A part of her wished that she could go back and do it all again, change the way she treated people and the things she did, but she also knew that she probably wouldn't be the person she was today, with the life she had, if it weren't for the mistakes she had made as a child.

'I mean, I don't think I've ever met a twelve year old who could pull off a pair of leather pants and a stringed halter neck quite like you could' Emily laughed as she took in Alison's outfit in the picture.  
'I don't think I'd want to either. It's horrific!' Alison retorted with wide eyes, as she snatched the book from Emily's lap and slammed it shut.  
'And yet, I thought you were so hot in that outfit' Emily added with a smirk.  
'Yeah right' Alison chuckled, her eyes rolling hard because of course a pre-pubescent Emily Fields had thought _that_ particular outfit looked good.  
'It's true!' Emily defended herself with a sly smile, her eyes flickering from Alison's eyes to her lips. 'I couldn't keep my eyes off of you. I still can't' Alison swallowed hard at Emily's words. Her throat felt suddenly dry and she felt like all of the air had been sucked from her lungs as she got trapped beneath that powerful Fields stare that, even after all these years, still caught her off guard. Alison let out a shaky breath before leaning in and capturing Emily's lips with her own, her hand coming up to anchor into long raven locks.

'Ew, couldn't you two like, get a room or something?' Grace moaned as she entered the room, causing Emily and Alison to break their lip lock.  
'Yeah, like seriously you guys have four more days, then you're practically child free. You can't be that desperate that you can't wait' Lily chimed in, causing Alison to roll her eyes once again as she let out a deep sigh.  
'Remind me again, why was I sad that they're leaving us?' She groaned to Emily, as she scooted across the couch, her eyes glancing to her daughters who were now sat across from them with amused smirks. Most teenagers would be grossed out if they caught their parents making out on the couch, but Lily and Grace had grown up knowing just how hard it was for their Moms to keep their hands off each other. They had figured a long time ago that instead of being disgusted by their Moms' sex life, they should just be happy that they were still blissfully in love.  
'Because they're our babies and you love them?' Emily replied with a playful, yet knowing, smile.  
'Right... And you're sure it's too late for us to just, send them back?' Alison asked, semi-playfully, though her frustration was still evident in her tone.

Emily's eyebrows raised almost comically as she choked on a laugh.  
'Hell no. I'm not going through another eight months of you being pregnant' She retorted, causing Grace and Lily to giggle. 'If I recall correctly, that's why we decided that I would carry Jude' Emily added for good measure, causing Alison to glare at her as Grace and Lily's laughter increased.  
'Wow, Mom was that crazy that you decided to put yourself through child birth? Yikes!' Grace piped up in amusement. It really didn't surprise her that Alison had been a nightmare while pregnant with her and Lily. A part of her felt a smidgen of guilt that the three of them combined had clearly put Emily through hell.  
'I wasn't that bad' Alison scoffed as she childishly crossed her arms over her chest.  
'Sure you weren't' Emily teased, her smirk planted firmly across her face. Alison glared at her again, while Lily and Grace continued to chuckle at their Moms playful banter.  
'What was it like? Being pregnant with us, I mean?' Lily asked curiously. She couldn't imagine being pregnant with one baby, let alone two at once, and she somewhat wished she could have been a fly on the wall during those days to see the chaos that was her Moms lives first hand.  
'Honestly? It wasn't all that dramatic' Alison replied with a shrug, which caused Emily to scoff.  
'Speak for yourself!' She laughed.

 _Emily entered the_ _DiLaurentis_ _house, which she had moved into with Alison only a few months ago. The lights were off, which was strange because Emily knew that Alison was home today. When she heard the sounds of banging and cursing coming from upstairs, she became even more confused. Allowing her legs to carry her up the stairs, she followed the noise towards one of the several bedrooms in the house. Emily rounded the doorframe to find Alison sitting on the ground and attempting to lean over her blossoming baby bump while trying to put together what Emily could only guess was a changing table._  
 _'Ali, what are you doing?' she asked as she quickly made her way into the room._  
 _'Trying to make sure our babies have a nursery' Alison replied through gritted teeth, causing Emily to brace herself because she could already sense that her girlfriend was in a mood. Alison was prone to mood swings before she became pregnant, and that had only enhanced as her pregnancy developed and her hormones grew. Now at six months pregnant, Emily found that even the simplest of sentences could cause Alison to blow up at her._

' _Ok, but why?' Emily asked cautiously, though the second the question left her lips, she knew that she had made a mistake. Alison looked up at her with wide, angry eyes._  
 _'Because Emily, babies need things and right now all we've got is an old crib and a few onesies!' Alison snapped, before going back to the changing table in front of her, a screwdriver clutched tightly in the hand. Emily let out a sigh and moved closer to her clearly unhinged girlfriend, her eyes fixed on the tool in Alison's grasp._  
 _'Ok, but I said I'd get the nursery ready' she tried, keeping her voice cool and smooth in an effort to keep Alison calm. 'I said that you wouldn't need to lift a finger, remember?' she added sweetly._

 _Alison didn't even look up at the other woman, her eyes fixed firmly on the dismantled furniture in front of her._  
 _'Yeah, and that was four days ago, Emily' Alison scoffed as she looked at the instructions beside her before placing a screw into the correct hole. Emily quickly felt her patience wearing thin. She wanted to have the nursery complete, she really did, but she was currently working a full-time job as well as trying her best to care for Alison's every need, which was becoming more and more demanding as the weeks went on._  
 _'Ali, I've been working...' Emily sighed, her exhaustion clearly showing. While a more level-headed Alison would clearly realise this, heavily pregnant and hormonal Alison did not, and the very innocence of Emily's sentence caused the other women to hit the roof._

 _'And what do you think I've been doing!? Scratching my ass?' Alison practically screeched as she launched the screwdriver across the room. 'I've been working too, but I'm still growing your fucking children inside of me! How about you learn to multi-task a little, stop making shitty excuses and actually provide for the children you begged me to have!' Alison's eyes widened the second she finished her rant. She looked at Emily, who looked equally as stunned, and blinked hard as though to snap herself out of her rampage._  
 _'I'm sorry' she mumbled as she held her head in her hands. She looked exhausted and broken, and any anger that Emily was holding on to, melted in that instant as she took in the form of Alison, and the babies that currently resided inside of her. Emily quickly rushed across the room and sat herself next to her girlfriend, before taking Alison into her arms._  
 _'Take a breath' Emily hushed, as she held Alison to her chest._ _  
_  
 _'What if we can't do this,_ _Em_ _?' Alison asked after the longest silence._  
 _'We'll be fine. Trust me' Emily mumbled into Alison's hair as she rested her mouth against the crown of the other woman's head. Alison sat up and looked Emily in the eyes, needing to see if there was any hesitation in those beautiful brown orbs that grounded her more than anything._  
 _'But what if we're not? What if I screw up your perfect babies because I'm a horrible person!?' Alison pushed, her own words and thoughts causing her to grow emotional. Emily took Alison's hands into her own and squeezed them tight._  
 _'Ok stop that' she said firmly. 'First of all, they're_ our _babies, and secondly you will not screw them up!' Emily stated surely. 'Ali, you have so much love in you to give, and I have no doubt that you will love our children more than anything in this world. I mean, look at how much you love me. That's not the kind of love that comes from a horrible person'_

 _Alison let out a soft, sad laugh and shook her head. She felt that warmth that only came from Emily's loving words take over her body._  
 _'Of course I love you, but that's you. This is different' Alison argued, causing Emily to smile because it was so typical of her girlfriend. Alison never had been one to accept when nice things were said about her, even if those nice things came from Emily._  
 _'It is different, but these babies will have come from you. From both of us' Emily said softly. 'They're a sign of how much we love each other, regardless to how they were conceived. I have to believe that. They might have been created in an unexpected way, and sure we might not have been together at the time, but there's no doubt that we loved each other. It was that love that brought us together, and I have to believe that that will help us to raise these babies right'_

 _If Alison_ _DiLaurentis_ _wasn't already head over heels in love with Emily Fields, after that little speech, she definitely was. She let out a little giggle at the other woman's words, which caused Emily's brow to furrow, because she wasn't sure that anything she had just said was remotely funny._  
 _'What? Too cheesy?' she asked, cringing slightly because she definitely didn't want to be one of those mushy, gushing people who talked about love all the time, but well, Alison seemed to bring out that side of her._  
 _'No, it's just... I've said it before, but I just realised how true it is' Alison replied with a shrug, though her lips were spread into a wide, love-drunk smile._  
 _'What?'_  
 _'The reason I love you so much. You're big on happy endings' Alison answered. 'You always see the good in everything. It makes it impossible not to love you'  
_

'Yeah, ok you were slightly crazy, Mom' Grace chuckled, while Lily nodded in agreement.  
'I wasn't that bad. Your Mom was worse with Jude' Alison argued with slight offense.  
'I really don't think that I was' Emily disagreed, shaking her head. Lily and Grace watched on, as their Mom's argued over who was crazier during their respective pregnancies.

 _Emily's eyes shot open in a panic, the summer sun burning at her retinas through the crack in the curtains. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand, a panic coursing through her when she saw that the time was 8am._  
 _'Shit' she yelled out as she jumped out of bed, well, rolled out as quickly as her protruding stomach would allow her to. 'Ali, get up we're late!' she yelled over her shoulder to her sleeping Wife, who simply groaned in response before sitting up._  
 _'What?' Alison mumbled sleepily, but Emily was already out of the bedroom and waking up the girls. She was halfway through pulling a t-shirt onto a groggy Lily, when a pyjama clad Grace asked where they were going._  
 _'To school. We're late' Emily replied simply as she continued to pull Lily's clothes on to her._  
 _'But Mommy, it's Saturday' Lily piped up._  
 _'What?' Emily asked, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she looked up at her daughters who were both nodding at her, their eyes barely open as they fought off sleep. Emily heard a snicker come from behind her and realisation hit as she turned to see Alison standing in the doorway, looking at her like she'd just lost her mind._  
 _'Dumbass' Alison mumbled as she made her way back to bed, rolling her eyes as she went._

'You realise our parents are a couple of whack jobs, right?' Grace snickered to Lily, as Alison finished off her story.  
'Right?' Lily agreed, her eyebrows raised as she looked at her Mothers as though they had just caught the first train to Crazy Town, and she had been brought along for the ride.  
'Hey, you girls are no walk in the park either' Emily argued, as she remembered that one time she had to chase a naked Grace through the supermarket, because the four year old had decided to strip in the middle of the fresh produce aisle. Then there was the time that Lily was inconsolable over the fact that her favourite book had gotten ripped. Emily had ended up driving for over an hour to the closest bookstore that had a copy of the book in stock, just to appease the distraught six year old.  
'Yeah, I mean you girls might not share the DiLaurentis genetics, but you definitely carry the name well' Alison added with a smirk, causing Emily to laugh.  
'Well, their stubbornness doesn't come from me anyway' Emily added, causing Alison to scoff and roll her eyes, because of course her Wife would throw that little jab in.

'Mom, does it ever bother you that we don't look like you?' Lily asked curiously. Emily and Alison had explained their genetic make-up when they hit Middle School, and while they were grateful for the information of their biological parentage, they didn't know any different and so had never bothered to ask any more pressing questions. As far as they were concerned, their parents were Emily and Alison. They didn't need to know the ins and outs of what that involved because they were two very much loved little girls, and they loved their Mothers just as much. Alison paused and thought deeply about the question, while Emily, Grace and Lily sat and watched her with the patience that could only come from the Fields family, because lord knows the DiLaurentis' weren't known for being especially patient.  
'It did at one time' Alison finally answered, as she folded her hands into her lap. 'But I quickly realised that I didn't need you girls to look like me. You're my daughters, and I gave birth to you and I love you both more than I could ever put into words. DNA can't change that' she finished, as she remembered that one particular incident that had piqued that self-destructive part of her that she had learned to contain so much since she and Emily had finally gotten together.

 _Alison walked in to the hall, pushing the double pushchair in front of her cautiously. She looked around the spacious room as she took in the various mothers, chatting animatedly with their babies playing in front of them. She wasn't sure why she felt so anxious. Emily came here all the time and said that the mothers were lovely, but Alison was very aware of the fact that her Fiancé was a lot easier to talk to and make friends with than she was. Emily was like an adorable puppy that nobody could say no to and everyone loved, whereas Alison knew she was more like a prickly hedgehog. She could be cute and cuddly if she wanted, but most people only saw the spikes and retreated quickly. Still, Emily had been bringing the girls to the mother-baby group since they were only a few months old, and Alison had promised that today she would take over so that Emily could spend some much needed baby-free time with Hanna._

 _Alison took a deep breath, rolled her eyes at herself for being so pathetic, and entered the room. She made her way over to a corner and parked the stroller alongside several others, before going to unclip the girls. Alison unclipped Grace first and placed her down on her tummy, onto a mat on the ground. As she turned to grab Lily, seven month old Grace, who Alison had nicknamed 'Houdini', was off like a shot. By the time Alison had Lily out of the stroller and had turned around, Grace was half way across the room and drooling over some unsuspecting baby, who was lying on his back on another mat._  
 _'Grace' Alison groaned as she quickly made her way across the room. 'I'm sorry' she added to the mother of the little boy, who was giggling at Grace._  
 _'It's ok!' the mother replied. 'I know what Grace is like. You're a handful aren't you, honey' she directed to Grace, who was now sitting on her backside and was chewing on the corner of a foam block. Alison was taken aback by how familiar this woman seemed to be with her daughter, when she herself had no idea who the woman was._  
 _'Oh, I'm sorry' the woman apologised, spotting the anxious look on Alison's face. 'I'm Lisa. I'm friends with Emily' she explained, which while it should have enlightened Alison, it only seemed to confuse her even more because Emily had never mentioned this woman before. Deciding that this wasn't the place for an interrogation, Alison simply nodded and gave the woman a curt smile before setting down Lily, who was now squirming to get to her sister._

 _'So you must be Alison' the woman asked politely, and any thoughts of a secret relationship that were currently going through her mind, were destroyed in that moment because while Emily hadn't mentioned this Lisa woman to her, she had clearly mentioned Alison to Lisa, and that was enough to calm any fears she had._  
 _'I am' Alison replied with her best attempt at a friendly smile. She sat herself on the ground and watched as the girls crawled across the ground. Grace was doing laps of the hall and practically inspecting all of the other babies, while Lily sat close by with a car, rolling it back and forth across the floor. Alison and Lisa chatted casually back and forth, and Alison found that this Lisa woman was actually quite nice. A little annoying, but nice enough. She could definitely see why Emily would have made friends with her. That was until she said the next statement anyway._  
 _'I have to say, I have so much respect for you' Lisa stated with a sense of awe in her voice. 'I mean, helping Emily with the girls. It takes serious balls to go into a relationship and take on that kind of baggage, especially when it's twins! I mean, one baby is hard enough, but two? I hold my hands up to you, girl'_

 _'I'm sorry, what?' Alison asked in confusion, because she had no idea what Lisa was talking about._  
 _'Sorry, did I over step?' Lisa asked, instantly feeling the wrath building inside of Alison, who was making sense of what Lisa had just implied. While a perfectly innocent statement, Lisa had assumed that Alison was not the mother of these children. That her daughters had come from Emily, and Emily alone. That Alison had 'taken on' the job of mother to two little girls who were otherwise nothing to do with her. Alison knew that Lisa was making assumptions, and that these assumptions could come from anyone with a set of working eyes, because both Lily and Grace were practically clones of Emily. That didn't make it hurt any less, though. For the first time in seven months, Alison felt as though she was less of a parent to her daughters. As though she didn't have that connection to them that Emily did, simply because they didn't look like her. In her right mind, Alison would know that it was stupid to feel that way simply because of one person's comments, but her daughters, and Emily, gave her purpose and life. They had given her the family that she had always wanted, and that in turn gave her happiness and fulfilment. The mere thought of losing that was crushing for Alison._

 _Alison looked at Grace, who was now cooing and babbling to a little girl, who was a little older than her, and then to Lily who was studying a mirrored baby toy with such concentration, her little brow was creased. For the first time since the girls were born, Alison wished they looked like her. She wished that they shared her blonde hair and fair skin, just so that she wouldn't have to explain their differences, because in that instant she saw a lifetime of having to explain to people the way their family worked. Why her children didn't look like her, even though she gave birth to them. She could see her girls coming to her in years to come, asking why they didn't share her DNA, and even worse, about the truth about their parentage. She wasn't sure she could face that. She didn't want to._  
 _'Alison?' Lisa called anxiously, snapping Alison's attention back to her. Alison looked down to see piercing green eyes looking at her. They were curious and questioning, and Alison didn't want to face them. Without another word, she scooped Grace and Lily up, hastily strapped them into the pushchair and left the hall. Her fears and anxieties coursed through her for several days, until Emily finally made her open up and talk. With Emily's words of encouragement and comfort, she quickly realised that it didn't matter that the girls didn't look like her, and other people's opinions and judgements were unimportant. What mattered was that she loved her little family more than anything, and they loved her back. Anything else she could deal with._

Emily hovered in the doorway of Lily's room, watching silently as her daughter taped up the last remaining box of her belongings. It was a sad sight to see her daughters leaving home, but she was proud nonetheless. She was proud of Lily and Grace for doing so well and getting to that next stage in life, but she was also proud of herself and Alison. Eighteen years ago, they were blindsided by the news that they would be parents to two perfect little girls, and somehow they had raised those babies into two stunning, brilliant and headstrong women.  
'God, you and Mom really need to stop sleuthing around doorways' Lily chuckled as she turned to see her Mom deep in thought. 'What can I help you with, Thing 1?' she added, causing Emily to laugh.  
'You know your Uncle Jason got you and Grace onesies with Thing 1 and Thing 2 on when you were born?' Emily asked, as that particular memory popped into her head. Alison had snapped at him and called him evil, but the less hormonal and sleep-deprived Emily had found it hilarious.  
'I know. Mom showed me the picture that you took' Lily laughed. 'She told me Grace pooped all over the damn thing, and that she had never been prouder of her.'

Emily laughed at the memory. She had been gutted that Grace had ruined the cute onesie, but Alison stated that clearly her daughter already had good taste and that it was her way of showing them who was boss. They hadn't realised how true those words were because Grace spent the next Eighteen years showing them that she was definitely in charge.  
'So, what can I do for you Mom?' Lily asked, wanting to know what had caused the older woman to ponder down memory lane in her doorway.  
'Oh, I wanted to give you this' Emily replied with a smile as she handed across a camo patterned jacket. Lily knew what it was instantly, having spied it in her Moms' closet many times when she and Grace had raided it for clothes. She took the jacket and held it in front of her, her eyes landing on the 'Fields' branding on the left breast.  
'I found it a few years ago when I was cleaning out Grandma's house' Emily began to explain. 'I know your Grandpa would want you to have it' she added, trying to keep her own emotions at bay, because she wished more than anything her parents could be here to see this very moment. She knew that they would both be proud as punch to see Lily go off to fight for their country the same way that Wayne had before her.

'Thanks Mom' Lily whispered, shocked that her Mom was giving this to her. It was one of the very few things Emily had left of Wayne, other than the memories in her mind and even those were fading over the years. The fact that Emily had given this to her so freely caused a lump to appear in Lily's throat. Emily felt silly, but in her mind she figured that if Lily had Wayne's jacket, he'd be watching over her and keeping her safe. It was that thought alone that kept her mind from wandering to the place that Alison was struggling to keep her own mind from going to. Emily figured that only one of them could freak out about the whole army thing, and so for her Wife's sake, she had to keep it together. As much as she wanted Lily to go ahead and live her dreams, she was still terrified of what that could mean.  
'Aren't you going to try it on?' she prompted, pushing her emotions aside to focus on her daughter. Lily looked at the jacket as though it held the weight of a thousand men. It was daunting, holding the jacket of someone who meant so much to her Moms. It was the jacket of a man who fought for his country for years, and left the military with the highest regards. He was a man who was respected, and had made the Fields name mean something in the world she was about to step in to. Suddenly she didn't feel like she was enough; that she was worthy of bearing the Fields name on her chest.

'What if I can't do it, Mom?' she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. 'What if I get there and I realise that this isn't what I want to do?' she asked fearfully, because this wasn't something she could walk away from. Once she was there, she was signed up to three years minimum service. Three years at Eighteen years old felt like a lifetime. Hell, she struggled making a decision for her phone when she got out a new twenty four month contract! Emily smiled sadly at Lily, taking a step forward to close the distance. She took the jacket from Lily's hands and let her eyes linger on the name that had scared the crap out of Lily. She knew what that name meant in the Military world. She knew how big the shoes were that Lily would be stepping into, it was one of the reasons she herself had never enlisted. She knew she could never live up to her Father's legacy. Lily could though, Emily had no doubt about her daughter's capability. Lily had spunk. She had the kind of courage that could only come from being co-parented by Alison DiLaurentis.

Emily draped the jacket over Lily's shoulder, prompting her to put it on.  
'You have nothing to worry about' Emily responded eventually. Lily looked at her hesitantly before slipping an arm into one of the arm holes. 'I know that the Fields' name is a big one to live up to. Your Grandpa left behind a great reputation. But, you have something that he didn't' Emily added, as she pulled Lily's second arm in and rounded her daughter. She stepped back to take in the sight of Lily in the oversized jacket, and she felt something in her warm through her body, as though she had just drunk a bottle of whisky.  
'What's that?' Lily asked curiously.  
'Honey, you might be a Fields biologically, but you're a DiLaurentis by blood. Not even the greatest man in the world can compare to that combination' Emily finished with a smile, which grew infinitely when it was matched by Lily's. Emily saw all of the doubt and fear disappear from Lily's face and in its place came courage and bravery.

'I'm proud of you, Lils. Your grandpa would have been too' Emily said softly. She took in the sight of her grown daughter, yet all she saw was her baby girl playing dress up. How she wished she could go back to those days. 'I wish he'd gotten to meet you girls. You'd have both loved him and he would have adored you both' she sighed as she thought of the times her Dad had said he couldn't wait to be a Grandpa. He always said it was more fun than parenting. All the fun with less of the responsibility.  
'Mom said he was a good man' Lily said wistfully. 'An honourable man'  
'He was' Emily replied with a light nod of the head.  
'Then I want to be that too' Lily stated with certainty.  
'Jeez Lils, I mean a sex change is a pretty big deal' Emily replied jovially. 'Break that news to your Mom gently, wont you?' She added with a chuckle.  
'I didn't mean that!' Lily giggled, rolling her eyes at her Mom, though she was amused nonetheless. 'I just meant that I want people to say the same about me. That I'm a good person and that I'm honourable' She added in a more serious tone. 'I want people to know that I took after the finest man that ever came out of Rosewood. I want to make him proud'

'I'm sure you already do' Emily replied sincerely. She let out a soft sigh and looked at her daughter, before pulling her in for a tight hug. When she pulled back, Emily stroked her hand down the jacket. She remembered the times she would put it on when she felt scared, which was every other day back in High School. She had a particular fondness for the jacket after the Doll House. She recalled the times that she couldn't sleep because of the nightmares, and so she'd wrap herself up in it and curl up on the couch. It was the only way she could feel safe. Then when her Dad had died, she couldn't bring herself to look at it, because it hurt too much to know that that safety was gone. The one person she knew could protect her at all costs, no longer roamed the Earth. Now it was time for Lily to make her own memories with the jacket that had seen so much of her own. The jacket that was Emily's own safety blanket, was now being passed on to her daughter, and Wayne Fields' memory would live another lifetime.  
'It suits you' Emily said, her voice fogging with emotion, yet she held a smile on her face. Today was about Lily and Grace, and Emily knew she needed to stay strong for them, and for Alison.

'I think that's the last one' Grace said with a groan, as she lifted the last box into the back of the truck Toby had gifted to them. When Spencer had mentioned that the girls were going on a road trip with their belongings and that they were in need of a van of some sort, he had happily offered up his old truck for them, claiming that he was going to be getting a newer model anyway. Grace was delighted that she would finally have her own vehicle, since Toby had told her she could keep it to get to and from class while she was at college.  
'It's crazy that we can fit our entire lives into the back of a pick-up' Lily stated in amazement, her eyes glancing over the half a dozen boxes that now took up the majority of the back of the truck. The two girls stood side by side, allowing the enormity of the situation to finally wash over them. It hadn't hit them until that moment, that they were about to leave home and that they would be undertaking an epic road trip that would end with them living separate lives for the first time ever. Neither of them wanted to think about what life would be like without the other. It was too painful to comprehend.

'Hey' came a timid voice from behind. Both girls turned to see Ava walking up the driveway, anxiously pulling on the sleeves of her shirt.  
'Hey Aves' Grace greeted the blonde, glancing towards Lily before she took a few steps towards their lifelong friend.  
'Hi' Lily replied softly, her heart sitting in her throat at the sight of the girl who had held her heart since they were children.  
'I just wanted to come by and say goodbye' Ava explained with a shrug, directing her words more towards Grace than Lily. She couldn't look at the other twin. It was too hard and too painful to say goodbye to the one she loved. Especially after the way they had left things the last time they had talked.

 _'Are you fucking serious right now?' Ava asked in disbelief. Her heart was in her throat and her stomach was twisting uncomfortably at this new information. She was sure it had to be some kind of stupid joke, but the look on Lily's face told her it was anything but._  
 _'So this is why you've been acting so crazy the past few weeks?' Ava asked again, her voice wobbling as she struggled to keep control of her emotions. This was not how it was supposed to happen. This was not the way things were supposed to go._  
' _Well, I wouldn't say crazy...' Lily replied, trying to keep the situation light and easy, because she had had enough of her Mom screaming at her and telling her she was making a grave mistake, she didn't need her girlfriend going at it too._  
 _'No, you're right. Crazy doesn't even begin to cover it' Ava agreed with a dark chuckle as she paced back and forth, her adrenaline spiking as she tried to wrap her mind around what Lily had just told her. 'You signed up for the fucking army! Did you even think this through at all!?' Ava yelled, spinning on her heels to face her girlfriend head on._

 _'Of course I thought this through. I didn't go into this lightly, Ava!' Lily shouted back, her defences automatically shooting up at the sound of Ava's voice raising. Lily was well versed in this fight now, due to weeks of arguing with her Mom about it, but she was tired of hearing the same things over and over again. She was tired of hearing how she was making a mistake and that she couldn't handle herself out there. She just wanted someone in her corner supporting her. Someone telling her that she was going to be ok and would come back home safe and sound, rather than the alternative picture that her Mom was not so pleasantly painting for her._  
 _'You know, I think it hurts more that you did think about this' Ava said in a lower voice. Her chin wobbled with emotion as she avoided looking at Lily, too scared that a mere peek into those honey coloured eyes would finally break her. 'The fact that you thought about how we were supposed to have a future and how you were going to be leaving me, and you still went for it anyway, is so much worse than you not thinking at all' Ava explained, her eyes brimming with the tears she was desperately holding back, and Lily's appeared almost simultaneously. She could see how this was affecting her girlfriend. She understood that Ava felt as though she was being left behind, and that had never been Lily's intention._

 _'You know that's not what I'm doing' Lily replied in a softer tone. She wanted to reach out and take Ava in her arms, and promise her that they would always figure out a plan. That she would never leave her behind and that she wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. Yet, she remained in her safe space, a few feet from the other girl, because she wasn't sure what Ava wanted from her right now, or what would eventually tip the blonde over the edge. That, it turned out, was the right decision, because not a second later, Ava exploded again._  
 _'Then what are you doing, Lily!?' she screamed in frustration, finally turning to look at Lily with fiery eyes, filled with anguish and hurt. 'We had a plan, and you shit all over it like it meant nothing to you! You were supposed to go to college and I was going to follow you. Wherever you go, I go, remember? We were going to spend our lives together!' Ava ranted. Hot tears spilled down her cheeks, smudging streams of black mascara across her skin._  
 _'We still can. This doesn't change that!' Lily disputed, daring to take a step forward. She_ _encaptured_ _Ava's wrists in her hands and held onto them as though they were her life raft. The contact alone was keeping her afloat, because Lily could see this ship sinking fast and she felt as though she were_ _clambering_ _to higher ground, just to keep her head above water._

 _'You can go to college near where I'm based, and we'll spend as much time as we can together, and-' Lily rambled, only to be cut off by Ava._  
 _'No!' She yelled sternly, as she pulled her arms from Lily's clutches. Lily froze in place, stunned by the resistance from her girlfriend, while Ava took a breath and tried to regain some strength, because she knew this next part was going to be hard on both of them. 'I would follow you to the ends of the Earth, Lily, but I can't follow you on this' She began to explain, her eyes burning with tears again. Her heart felt as though it was being squeezed and her chest felt tight, but she continued, knowing that along with breaking her own heart, she was breaking Lily's too. 'I can't sit by and be some forgotten army wife, who only gets to see you once every six months. I can't sit by wondering if you're ok or if you're going to come home to me with your damn legs blown off! I can't do it!' she sobbed as she ran shaking fingers through her hair._

 _'So, what are you saying?' Lily asked uneasily. Her voice shook, because she already knew what Ava was saying, but she needed to hear the words out in the air. She needed Ava to look her in the eye and tell her for her to believe it. Ava let out an unsteady_ _breath_ _. She shook her head a little and wiped away at her tears. She didn't want to say it. It hurt too much, but she knew that Lily needed to hear those words. She needed that clarity and closure, and Ava didn't want to deny her that. She still loved her,_ _afterall_ _._  
 _'I'm saying, if you do this, if you join the army...' Her voice shook and her vision blurred with the flurry of never-ending tears. 'If you leave me this way, then we're done' she finished._  
 _'Ava' Lily choked, her own tears flooding through her lashes. 'It's already done. It's not something I can undo…' she stumbled on her words as she thought desperately for a way that she could fix this. That she could still keep Ava in her life. That this wouldn't be the end of the greatest love she had ever known._

 _A heavy silence filled the air between them, and both girls were rooted to their spot as they took in the enormity of the situation before them. They studied each other faces and memorised each and every part of the other, because in truth, they knew that this could well be the last time they say each other. They revelled in the fact that they still loved each other so deeply, which Ava thought hurt all the more. She figured it would be easier if she hated Lily. That way she could turn her back and forget all about her. However, that love was still deeply manifested inside the both of them, and that made it all the more painful._  
 _'Then I guess that's it then' she finally said with the gruffest voice she had ever heard come from her own mouth. She took one last look into those soulful brown eyes and walked out of the room, and out of Lily's life._

'Take care, ok?' Ava said to Grace as she squeezed the other girl in a tight bear hug. Their relationship had been tumultuous, but they loved each other like siblings, and both knew that they would miss each other.  
'You too. Don't miss me too much' Grace joked with a laugh, which Ava matched, though hers was much lighter. She wasn't unaware that Lily was watching the scenario, and she felt somewhat awkward that the other DiLaurentis-Fields wasn't joining in on the action. Ava knew why, she wasn't dumb to the fact that Lily probably felt misplaced in that situation now, but it still felt strange. Even before they were dating, it had always been the three of them together. Without Lily in the mix, it felt odd, and Ava couldn't help but feel sad about that. She wondered whether in time, they could get back to the way things used to be, though she knew in her heart that could never happen. There were too many feelings involved and too much had been said. Still, as she looked over at the timid looking teenager, her heart pounded just that bit harder, as if it were screaming at her 'what are you doing, you idiot? Go over there!' And so, with a rattling breath, she turned to face the girl her heart still beat for. Ava was convinced that she was made solely to love Lily, and that Lily was made for her. That was only made more evident by the incomplete feeling that had plagued her since they broke up. She didn't know that Lily was feeling that exact same emptiness. For the past few weeks, she had been walking around as though someone had ripped out a part of her soul. Until that moment, she hadn't believed in soul mates. Now she knew that she had lost hers. Yet, here she was, standing feet away from that very person, and she didn't know what to do.

Eventually it was Ava who took the bullet. She took a few steps forward and stopped herself wordlessly in front of Lily. Ava's eyes flickered down to the lips she had kissed countless times, and then up and down the body she had smothered with love. Ava bit down on her bottom lip as memories flooded back to her. She took Lily's hands in her own and looked up into warm, loving eyes, and she could feel her heart constricting, as if it were suffocating with the love that flowed between them.  
'Lily' she whispered, as she tried to keep her emotions under check. 'Please stay safe' she begged softly. Lily could see the fear in Ava's eyes, it was the same fear she saw in her Mom's. It was a fear for her life. A fear that told her that they were genuinely scared to lose her. She knew that it should terrify her, the fact that those close to her were fearful for her wellbeing, but she found a strange sense of comfort in it. She knew she was potentially heading into a dangerous situation, yet she knew that with her family behind her, she would fight to come home. The fact that Ava held that same look as her Mother only made her want to fight all the more. It gave her hope. It was a hope that she would use over the following years, not that she knew that yet.

'I will' Lily replied heavily, because those two words meant everything. They were a promise that she would come home safely. Lily wanted to say those words. She wanted to promise Ava that she would come back. She wanted to promise that she wouldn't rest until they were back in each other's arms again. She wanted to beg Ava to wait for her, because she couldn't bare the thought of her with another lover. Yet, before she could even form a sentence, she felt the softest lips upon her own. The kiss was gone quicker than it came, and their lips barely brushed, but she felt every millisecond of it, and she heard the message loud and clear from Ava.  
'I will come home, Ava. I promise' she said firmly, as she opened her eyes and lost herself in ocean blue orbs. Ava let out a breath that she wasn't sure she had been holding. She understood the subliminal meaning of Lily's words. She knew that Lily meant they would be together again. Yet, she also knew she couldn't hold on to those words as a promise.  
'Ok' she replied simply, as she bit down on the corner of her mouth, her eyes flicking to the ground as tears formed in them. They remained frozen in place for an elongated moment, before Ava flung her arms around Lily's neck and held her tightly.

'I don't want you to go' Ava confessed tearfully, and Lily's arms wrapped around her waist.  
'I know' Lily replied as her own tears began to fall. She finally pulled back and looked Ava in the eye, her thumb coming up to catch a tear as it brushed across the swell of Ava's cheek. 'I will come home though. I promise you that'  
'Please don't make promises you can't keep' Ava begged with a shake of her head, because she didn't want to believe it. She couldn't. She needed to continue with her life while Lily was gone, and she needed to protect herself if the worst was to happen.  
'Ok, well…I promise you I will be home at Christmas. How does that sound?' she asked, causing Ava to let out a sad chuckle.  
'That sounds good, I guess' Ava replied, as she wiped at her eyes with the butt of her palm. She let out a heavy breath and suddenly she felt lighter. She still felt sad, because she knew that Lily was leaving, but the pressure wasn't so high, and she felt as though she could breathe again.  
'I have to go' Lily said sadly, as she saw her Moms walking out of the house and towards the car. Ava glanced over her shoulder and nodded.  
'I know' She sighed sadly, her eyes burning again with the threat of tears.  
'I'll call you, ok?' Lily promised again, and she was sure she'd promise the world if Ava needed it.  
'You'd better' Ava joked, causing them both to chuckle lightly.

They simultaneously let out a breath as they took in the last looks of each other, before Lily leaned in and placed a firm kiss on Ava's lips. It was harder than the last, and it lingered a little longer. It was Lily's way of sealing the promises she had made. It was her way of telling Ava that they were far from over. At least for now, anyway.  
'I love you' Lily whispered as they parted. They rested their foreheads together, as their eyes remained closed and they let themselves forget the world for a moment, because they both knew that the second their eyes opened, it would be time for Lily to leave.  
'I know you do, and I love you too' Ava replied earnestly. 'But, it's time for you to go' she added sadly as she pulled herself away and opened her eyes.  
'Yeah, it's time for me to go' Lily repeated, her voice barely audible.  
'Goodbye Lily' Ava choked, as tears streamed down her cheeks.  
'Goodbye Ava' Lily replied, her own tears falling thick and fast. Ava gave Lily's hands one last squeeze, before she turned and walked away. She could feel Lily's eyes on her, and she wanted to turn and look back, but she forced herself to keep walking forwards, allowing her tears to dribble past her chin and onto the ground beneath her.

Lily felt as though she was being crushed. The realisation that she was leaving Rosewood, and in turn all of her loved ones, suddenly hit her like a brick wall to the face. Thankfully Grace was beside her before she could become too overwhelmed by the realisation.  
'You ok?'  
'Yeah, I will be' Lily replied, as she turned to face her sister. She gave Grace the best smile she could muster, and though her sister saw right through it, she didn't say a word.  
'Ok then' Grace replied with a nod, and a look that very much said they would be talking about this later. 'Let's get this show on the road' she added. Lily took a deep breath and smiled wider, wiping away her tears, before finally turning to face her Moms and Jude, who were standing patiently.

The next ten minutes were filled with more goodbyes, more hugs and more tears, though most of the later came from Alison. Emily let a few slip and continuously repeated how she couldn't believe her babies were now leaving home. Jude simply replied that they should be grateful they still had him, which only led to Alison having yet another melt down, because sooner or later, he would be leaving too.  
'Ok, we need to get going before Mom decides to lock us all in the basement for eternity' Grace joked, though Lily could see that she too was blinking back tears.  
'Yeah, we should hit the road before it gets too late. We want to make a decent head start' Lily added, knowing that Grace was signalling to get the hell out of there before she let her own walls down. Crying was not something her sister liked to do, so she tended to make her escape as quickly as she could from any situation that could cause such an emotional response.  
'Ok' Emily replied with a sad smile. 'You girls have everything, yeah?' she asked, as she pulled both girls in to one final hug. She took a moment to take one last long look at them, as though she were committing everything to memory.  
'Yes Mom' both girls replied in sync, something they had been doing since they were around 2 years old.

'Promise me you'll be careful' Alison begged, as she took her turn to hug her daughters.  
'Chill Mom, we'll be fine. We'll take care of each other, I promise. And I promise to call Toby for background checks on and hitchhikers we pick up' Grace added wickedly, knowing that it would drive her Mother wild.  
'Don't you dare!' Alison scolded with wide eyes.  
'Kidding!'  
'She's totally not kidding' Jude laughed, glinting mischievously at Grace. Over the past few years, Jude had very much become her partner in crime. Though he was much more reserved than his sister, he shared that same wicked streak that she had and he loved a practical joke, usually at Alison's expense. Though he hadn't said as much, he really was going to miss his big sisters.

'I promise we'll be careful' Lily stated with an eye roll, knowing that if she didn't stop Grace and Jude's game, their Mom wouldn't be letting them go anywhere, and instead would insist on flying them both to their respective locations herself.  
'And check in whenever you stop, ok? Keep me updated' Alison demanded, needing the reassurance that the girls wouldn't forget about them as soon as they left.  
'We will' Lily replied wearily, because she felt more promises coming on, and she really just wanted to leave.  
'Ok, enough babe. They've gotta go' Emily intervened, knowing that Alison would continue to make requests and demands, and the girls would never be able to leave. Grace flashed Emily an appreciative smile, while somewhat being amused that her Mothers were both seriously whipped for each other, even after all the years they had spent together.

After another tearful goodbye, Grace and Lily hopped into the truck and Alison, Emily and Jude waved them off as the car disappeared out of sight.  
'Can you believe our girls are grown up and have officially left home?' Emily thought aloud, as she remained staring at the space the truck had vanished from just a few moments before.  
'No' Alison replied honestly. 'It feels like just yesterday we were bringing them home from the hospital' she added with a sad smile, as she remembered those first few days at Pam's house, where neither of them really knew what to do, and they still couldn't believe someone had let them leave the hospital with two tiny babies to care for when they could barely care for themselves.  
'Right? I feel like it was just yesterday I was chasing Grace to get her diaper on, and Lily sobbed for you every time you left the room' Emily chuckled, as she recalled a particular time that that exact situation had happened.

 _'Ok, I need to get the talcum powder for your Mommy because Gracey's going to need her little tooshie dried when they come down here' Alison announced as she popped a diaper clad Lily into the play pen. The second Alison turned to head for the living room door, Lily began to wail and scream for her Mommy. Alison let out a sigh and turned to pick up her sobbing daughter, praying that this phase would end soon, because recently Lily was attached to her at all hours of the day and night.  
'Oh dear, what's all that noise?' Emily cooed, as she walked in to the room with Grace, who was wrapped up in a towel and was wet from her bath. Emily popped eighteen month old Grace on to the living room rug and turned to grab one of the diapers that Alison had laid out ready. The second Emily's hands left the toddler, Grace was up and out of her towelling, and was running for the living room door.  
'Grace!' Emily called after her daughter, who was giggling her naked butt off as her chubby baby legs moved as fast as they could. Emily would have been impressed with her speed, had it not been so frustrating that every time she tried to dress the child, she was up and running away before Emily could react._

 _Alison cuddled Lily and watched on in amusement as Emily scrambled to her feet and ran after Grace._  
 _'You know you could help' Emily growled in frustration as she ran past Alison._  
 _'Why? You seem like you have it all under contro- Em, watch out!' Alison yelled, as Emily ran straight into the door frame. She hit her head with a thud and Alison swore that she bounced off of the wooden frame. Emily's hands flew up to her eyebrow, which was now covered in claret, and Grace stopped in her tracks, turning to see what the commotion was about._  
 _'Son of a-'_  
 _'Bitch!' Grace finished loudly, a large proud smile plastered across her face as she stuck her fingers in her mouth. Alison fell about laughing, which caused Lily to giggle, though Emily failed to see the funny side. She pulled her hand back from her eyebrow and looked at it to inspect the damage of how much blood was coated over her fingers, before glaring at Alison.  
_ ' _Ali, you really need to stop cursing in the car. Thanks to you, our daughter has a potty mouth' Emily muttered, before making her way towards the kitchen in search of the first aid kit._

'Who'd have thought that our kids would end up being so great?' Alison wondered with a proud smile. 'I mean, we were never exactly parents of the year' she added with a chuckle, remembering the early days of parenthood, where neither of them had a clue what they were doing.  
'Uh, speak for yourself. You're the one who held them like footballs when they were born' Emily countered with a raised eyebrow.  
'Hey, I wasn't the one who dropped Grace on her head' Alison replied in amusement. That particular day had been hilarious in hindsight, though not so hilarious at the time. Grace was only five months old when she had squirmed right out of Emily's grip and landed on the living room floor with a thud. She didn't cry, in fact she barely reacted at all, which had scared the living day lights out of Emily, who insisted on taking her to the hospital because she was sure she had caused brain damage or something. After several hours of waiting in the ER and begging for a second opinion, followed by a third opinion, Emily was finally reassured by the Head of Paediatrics that Grace was just fine and that it was possible that she didn't cry because she wasn't hurt from the fall at all.

'You dropped Grace on her head? Explains a lot!' Jude exclaimed with an amused look. Alison laughed and pushed him towards the front door.  
'You think that's bad?' she asked, as they all made their way inside. 'She left you at home once while she went to the store'  
'What!?'  
'Hey, in my defence you were only a few days old, I was severely sleep deprived and Grace was being a pain in the ass' Emily defended herself. 'Besides, I realised before I even pulled the car out of the driveway' she added in an attempt to justify the situation that she had felt guilty about for weeks afterwards. 'Why would you tell him that?' she whispered to Alison, who simply smiled at her sweetly.  
'Because it's hilarious and I knew you'd freak out' Alison confessed with a shrug, before hooking her arms loosely over Emily's shoulders. 'And I knew you'd pull that cute shocked face that you make when you're put on the spot' she added flirtatiously, causing Emily to blush and roll her eyes. Alison leaned in and placed a soft peck to Emily's lips, and Emily secured her hands on Alison's hips.

'Thank you for helping to raise three perfect children' Alison said lovingly, as she pulled back from the kiss.  
'Thank _you_ for letting me help' Emily replied, as she recalled that day that Alison had changed her mind on the termination of the pregnancy, and had allowed Emily to help her. In fact, it had been the condition in which she would keep the baby that she had come to find was a product of Emily's donated egg. At the time, it was the worst possible thing that could have happened to them, yet here they were, eighteen years later and they couldn't have imagined their lives any other way.  
'I wouldn't have done it without you' Alison replied softly, as her own mind went back to that day. For her, it was the day that everything made sense. It was the day that she felt herself begin to actually see a future that had Emily in it. It was the day that she felt sure that at some point down the line, she would be able to love Emily the way she deserved to be loved. It was the day that changed everything for them.

Emily smiled, knowing where Alison's mind was at. She pulled her Wife in for another kiss, this one lasting longer than the last one.  
'God you guys are gross' Jude broke the moment, pulling a face of disgust. Alison and Emily broke apart, with Alison rolling her eyes while Emily laughed.  
'You have exactly 2 seconds to get out of here, or you'll see something really gross' Alison warned, because she had every intention of having a heavy make out session with her Wife, and possibly kicking Jude out of the house so they could take it to the bedroom. Jude raised his eyebrows and headed towards the front door.  
'I'll uh, just go see if Oscar or Harper are around' he stated, before scarpering out of the door as quickly as he could.  
'You're an awful parent' Emily chuckled, as she turned back to Alison, pulling her in closer again.  
'I know, I'm the worst' Alison agreed with a giggle, before leaning up to capture Emily's lips again.

Fin

* * *

 **Ok, so there we have it. The final installment of Hand In Hand! I hope it was worth the wait, because you really did wait a long time.**

 **I don't know about you, but I'm all flashbacked out! We saw a shit tonne of back story there, and so many cute family moments from when the girls were little. My personal favourite is Grace saying Bitch and Emily blaming Ali for swearing in the car. I was SO excited to write that!**

 **Now, real talk. A lot has changed in the past few months and it's kind of changed the way my life is running. I know I've mentioned to you all before that work was crazy and I was finding it hard to write, but things are different now and unfortunately it's not for the better, which is partly why it's taken me so incredibly long to get this out. For the time being, I wont be writing anything else and I will be putting Don't You Remember on hiatus for the foreseeable future. I don't want to do it, but I literally cannot write right now (which sucks because I had a shit tonne of ideas mapped out, including another story, which is fully planned out and ready to be written). I hope that one day things will get better and I'll be able to come back to these stories, but for now, they will be vaulted and held on to. I just wanted to at least get this last chapter out to you and finish this story, since we've been on such a long ride together (can you believe it's been over a year since I first started this!?)**

 **Anyway I want to thank each and every single one of you that's been on this journey with me**

 **from the start. I've met some awesome people from writing and I'm so grateful to everyone that has taken the time to read this fic, as well as leaving your comments and basically just pushing me to write. What started as a collection of one shots, has turned into an entire storyline of lifetime events. We've gone from seeing Emily and Alison at the appointment where they discovered that they were carrying twins, right up to Lily and Grace going off to college/the army. We've met little Jude, and the other Liars kids, and Lily and Ava have had a whole relationship arc of their own (apologies to the Avily fans for the separation there btw! I know how loved they are). We've had illnesses, shootings and even the next gens own –A stalker (R.I.P Aaron Daniel Foster!) And we've had weddings, a shit load of pregnancies and sexy times from both generations. It really has been a rollercoaster of a story when you think about everything that has happened, and I am truly honoured that I've been able to share it with you guys.**

 **Hopefully I'll be back in the future, but until then, keep safe, have fun and enjoy yourself.**

 **Catch you on the flip side**

 **Lo xxx**


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